Jelly Bean

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.

Article

Motorola to let users 'Test Drive' future software updates before release

by Andrew Martonik

Nov 09, 2012

Following the announcement that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is rolling out to the Droid RAZR M, Motorola introduced a new initiative they're calling "Test Drive". The idea behind Test Drive...

Article

Official Jelly Bean update hitting Motorola Droid RAZR M today

by Andrew Martonik

Nov 09, 2012

We saw a leak of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the Motorola Droid RAZR M just shy of a month ago, and Verizon has just taken off the wraps on the official update today. The official support page is now...

Article

Jelly Bean update hits Galaxy Note 10.1, starting in Germany

by Alex Dobie

Nov 08, 2012

Samsung has begun updating its Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, according to reports. Samsung fansite SamMobile is reporting that German Note 10.1 devices are first in line for the...

Article

Sony Xperia V gets price drop and Jelly Bean upgrade, now due January

by Alex Dobie

Nov 06, 2012

Here's some mostly-good news for Sony fans in Europe. It seems the Xperia V, the company's European LTE-powered 4.3-incher, is to be held back until January 2013, but with good reason -...

Article

Android 4.1.2 update for Galaxy Note could add Nature UX, multi-window feature

by Alex Dobie

Nov 05, 2012

Samsung has already provided a wealth of software upgrades for the original Galaxy Note, which first shipped just over a year ago on Android 2.3-based firmware. Now signs seem to point towards the O...

Article

32GB Nexus 7 'with Android 4.2' advertised in the UK

by Alex Dobie

Nov 03, 2012

Hold your horses -- the Nexus 7 doesn't have Android 4.2 just yet. But no-one seems to have told UK retailer HMV, which is putting out newspaper ads for the new 32GB version of Google's tabl...

Article

Inside Android 4.2: Notifications and quick settings

by Phil Nickinson

Nov 03, 2012

Finally, Google has added quick settings to the notification pulldown in Android 4.2. That's a feature many have wanted in stock Android since, well, forever. Enthusiast ROMs have adde...

Article

Google slips a walking and cycling tracking card into Google Now

by Richard Devine

Nov 02, 2012

Google Now continues to try and improve our daily lives one little step at a time, and the latest addition seems to be doing just that. Some users are reporting this card now appearing when they ope...

Article

Jelly Bean build for the Droid RAZR HD leaks out

by Chris Parsons

Nov 02, 2012

When the Droid RAZR HD was announced, Motorola was quick to note the Android 4.0 powered device would indeed be getting an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean by the end of the year. One could conclude...

Article

Jelly Bean for the Verizon Galaxy S3 leaks out

by Andrew Martonik

Nov 01, 2012

A resourceful poster over at XDA has gotten his hands on a pre-release version of the Jelly Bean update destined to eventually make its way onto the Verizon Galaxy SIII (S3). The device received an ...

Article

Why you shouldn't worry about Android 4.2 updates

by Alex Dobie

Nov 01, 2012

Using a skinned version of Android? You’re already up-to-date on 4.1. We’re not huge proponents of using the term “skin” to describe the manufacturer customizations put o...

Article

Party like it's Q1 2013 with this BB10 lockscreen mod

by Andrew Martonik

Oct 31, 2012

If you've at all paid attention to the recent news from RIM, the latest version of its OS -- BlackBerry 10 -- is definitely coming (no really guys, we're serious this time). We don'...

Article

Ouya confirms game console will launch with Jelly Bean

by Simon Sage

Oct 31, 2012

The Android-powered Ouya game console is still on schedule according to the developers' latest update, and they've confirmed that it will launch with Jelly Bean. It wouldn't be surp...

Article

Android 4.2 gallery and camera ported to Galaxy Nexus

by Jerry Hildenbrand

Oct 31, 2012

That awesome camera app, as well as the new Gallery we saw from the upcoming Android 4.2 release can now be installed on your Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.1.1. There's still...

Article

ADW Launcher comes back from the dead with a new update

by Andrew Martonik

Oct 30, 2012

Just in time for Halloween, ADW Launcher is back from the dead. One of the more popular launchers all the way back in the days of Android 2.3, ADW hasn't seen an update in quite a long time...

Article

Google's Matias Duarte answers burning Nexus questions

by Alex Dobie

Oct 30, 2012

Android interface design guru and shirt connoisseur Matias Duarte has taken to Google+ to answer fans' questions about the upcoming Nexus devices and Android 4.2. One of the first subjects t...

Article

LG Nexus 4 Gallery

by Brent Zaniewski

Oct 29, 2012

The 4.7-inch Nexus 4 from LG is officially official as of today, packing a Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 16Gb of storage and 2GB of RAM while running on a fresh version of Jelly Bean - Android 4.2. C...

Article

Android 4.2 is here, and it has a whole bunch of new features

by Andrew Martonik

Oct 29, 2012

With the huge bunch of Nexus news today, it almost seems as though the latest release of Android, 4.2 Jelly Bean, hasn't gotten too much press. Rest assured, Google still packed a whole bunch of...

Article

HTC One X (international) Jelly Bean roll out begins

by Jerry Hildenbrand

Oct 27, 2012

Jelly Bean for the international versions of the HTC One X has begun pushing out, but the situation is a bit complicated. Rather than being pushed to all phones in a particular region, HTC push...

Article

Sprint begins Jelly Bean rollout to the Samsung Galaxy S3

by Sean Brunett

Oct 25, 2012

Sprint has begun rolling out the Android 4.1(Jelly Bean) update to their version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 (see our review). An Android Central Forums member shared an update announcement yesterday c...