Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" Arrives at Google I/O, Looks Impressive

The Google I/O conference is in full swing this week, and many of the rumors from recent weeks are coming true. As we discussed last week, Google did show off its new $199 7-inch Nexus tablet that will run the latest Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" mobile OS. Hands-on reviews of the tablet, many of them favorable, are appearing. Of course, Android 4.1 is also big news and will be at the heart of Google's mobile strategy going forward. Here is more on what's new in it.
Android 4.0, the "Ice Cream Sandwich" version of the mobile OS didn't get substantial pick-up from hardware manufacturers. However, the new version 4.1, "Jelly Bean," is a substantial upgrade of the OS.
In particular, system performance in Android 4.1 is reported to be much better. As InfoWorld notes:

"Much of the focus on 'Jelly Bean' was improved performance. For example, it runs all processes' and apps' screen display at 60 frames per second to make the UI run more smoothly, and it does predictive assessment as to where you are moving your finger to speed response as a screen refreshes. To improve performance, the processor now runs at full speed while a user is using gestures."

Among other improvements, Jelly Bean offers a home screen that automatically adapts to fit content, a predictive keyboard, richer and more interactive notifications, larger payload sizes for Android Beam sharing, and more. The Android Developers Blog also calls out new APIs aimed at developers, which are the pathways to richer and better Android applications:

"Expandable notifications: Android 4.1 brings a major update to the Android notifications framework. Apps can now display larger, richer notifications to users that can be expanded and collapsed with a pinch. Users can now take actions directly from the notification shade, and notifications support new types of content, including photos.

Android Beam: In Android 4.1, Android Beam makes it easier to share images, videos, or other payloads by leveraging Bluetooth for the data transfer.

Bi-directional text support: Android 4.1 helps you to reach more users through support for for bi-directional text in TextView and EditText elements.

Gesture mode: New APIs for accessibility services let you handle gestures and manage accessibility focus. Now you can traverse any element on the screen using gestures, accessories, you name it.

Media codec access: Provides low-level access to platform hardware and software codecs.

Wi-Fi Direct service discoverability: New API provides pre-associated service discovery letting apps get more information from nearby devices about the services they support, before they attempt to connect.

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 For a complete overview of new APIs in Jelly Bean, check out the API highlights document. It's clear that Jelly Bean is an Android upgrade that is going to make a big difference for many users and developers.