Android Central

Android version 4.1-4.2, codenamed Jelly Bean, is the current version of Google's mobile OS. Jelly Bean puts a renewed focus on UI speed and responsiveness, while further enhancing the UI introduced in Android 4.0. There's a completely redesigned notification API, allowing notifications to be expanded to include widget-like functionality. A re-vamped Google search interface includes the ability to pose questions directly and have them answered in voice. And a new Camera app allows shots to be easily reviewed and deleted. In addition, the new Google Now predictive search service puts data like location and search history to work to provide relevant real-time information.

Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) made its debut on the Nexus 7 tablet at Google I/O in June 2012. This was followed by a maintenance upgrade to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean later in the year, coinciding with the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 launch. Android 4.2 featured new lock screen widgets, more improvements to the stock Android camera app, gesture-based typing and new quick settings shortcuts accessible via the notification bar.

Keep watching Android Central's coverage for all the latest news on Jelly Bean upgrades for existing devices.

Android Central
Article
by Alex Dobie
Nov 23, 2012
Samsung continues its tradition of hefty upgrades for its Galaxy Note line with the announcement of a new "Premium Suite" upgrade pack for the Galaxy Note 10.1. The upgrade pack, which als...
Android Central
Article
by Alex Dobie
Nov 22, 2012
If you decided to take Samsung up on its bargain basement prices for the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Wifi-only edition, then there's some good news for you this Thanksgiving morn. The Android 4.1 Jelly Bean ...
Galaxy Nexus
Article
by Richard Devine
Nov 20, 2012
Good news for those of you waiting patiently on Android 4.2 for the 'yakju' variant international GSM Galaxy Nexus. We're seeing reports from Android Central Forums members that the OTA ...
Android Central
Article
by Richard Devine
Nov 20, 2012
Since Android 4.2 started getting into peoples hands, whichever device it may be on, the Amazon Appstore has been experiencing an extremely irritating bug. Whatever happens, the Appstore application...
Android Central
Article
by Alex Dobie
Nov 20, 2012
Samsung continues to push ahead with Android OS upgrades for its leading smartphones, and the latest leaked build to emerge demonstrates Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean on the international Galaxy Not...
HBO Go
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Nov 20, 2012
Home Box Office has updated their Android app to support Android 4.2 and the Nexus 10 this evening, allowing plenty of folks (including yours truly) to go into couch potato mode. Besides these two b...
Android Central
Article
by Richard Devine
Nov 18, 2012
We all know -- and hopefully accept -- that with any new version release of Android, there's bound to be a few little bugs hidden within. While Google will test, test and test again, there's...
Android Central
Article
by Andrew Martonik
Nov 16, 2012
We saw just yesterday that Beautiful Clock Widgets was updated to support Android 4.2's new lockscreen widget functionality, and now HD Widgets is following today with its own update. There are ...
Android Central
Article
by Richard Devine
Nov 15, 2012
Since its launch alongside Android 4.1 Jelly Bean back at Google IO in the summer, Google Now has become an intriguing, and in some cases integral part of every day life. Android nerds aren't th...
Galaxy S2
Article
by Andrew Martonik
Nov 15, 2012
Coming on the heels of a leaked build of Android 4.1.2 for the Samsung Galaxy SIII (S3), the folks over at SamMobile have published a leak of the software for the Galaxy SII (S2) as well. The G...
Bean Flinger
Article
by Alex Dobie
Nov 15, 2012
Android 4.2's "daydreams" are neat little screensaver-like apps that can run when your phone or tablet is docked or charging. Out of the box, there are five stock daydreams available, ...
GMail Advanced Search
Article
by Andrew Martonik
Nov 15, 2012
The GMail power users among us may be aware of some of the more advanced search operators that are at our disposal. Things like typing "from:david has:attachment" and getting relevant sear...
Beautiful Clock Widgets
Article
by Andrew Martonik
Nov 14, 2012
One of Android 4.2's forward-facing feature improvements was the lockscreen, which now has a system for integrating widgets of the users choice. In the stock shipping software, there's an an...
HTC One S
Article
by Richard Devine
Nov 14, 2012
We're not going to lie, we're pretty envious of this one. According to ePrice, what we have here is the latest HTC One device to go on sale in Asia, specifically at this time in Taiwan. On t...
Android Central
Article
by Alex Dobie
Nov 14, 2012
Stronger text and improved kerning in the new version of Jelly Bean Do things look a bit ... different ... since upgrading your Galaxy Nexus or Nexus 7 to Android 4.2? Turns out there's one ...
Android Central
Article
by Alex Dobie
Nov 14, 2012
Yesterday we brought you news that the first "stable" builds of CyanogenMod 10 had begun rolling out. Today a whole bunch of devices have stable CM10 builds waiting for them over at the of...
Android Central
Article
by Alex Dobie
Nov 14, 2012
Good news for T-Mobile USA Samsung Galaxy S3 owners this morning, as it seems a new over-the-air update for the device brings it up to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Numerous sources are reporting tha...
Android Central
Article
by Alex Dobie
Nov 13, 2012
Update: Stable builds for many more devices are now showing up on the CM download site. Hit the source link to view the growing list. Additionally, an update by the CM team on Google+ confirms that ...
Android Central
Article
by Andrew Martonik
Nov 13, 2012
Nexus 4 and 10 orders continue to roll through the time zones as the Android 4.2 download links start to come in as well. We've seen one go live for the GSM Galaxy Nexus, and now we've got o...
Lock Screen Widgets
Article
by Phil Nickinson
Nov 13, 2012
Lock screen widgets work, and they work well – but there also are some troubling security concerns Finally, we get our first real look at the new lockscreen widgets in Android 4.2. This is...