The Jelly Bean or Android 4.1 is the latest version of the Android OS announced in the second quarter of 2012. As expected, it introduced new and improved features and functions, some of which will surely boost Android apps development like never before. Let us look at some prominent features of Android Jelly Bean and how it will boost Android apps development in the future.
Overall system is now Buttery Smooth
Jelly Bean now makes Android devices even more responsive with its buttery smooth graphics, effortless transitions and swift movements like switching between apps and much more. It feels as if you are playing with the pixels directly beneath the screen. This provides scope of development of various responsive Android apps.
Enhanced notifications
Android puts its users in the front seat with its enhanced notifications in this incremental update of the Ice Cream Sandwich. You can now manage most of your tasks directly from the expandable notifications be it answering the missed calls, emailing, checking photos on Google+ among others.
Magical widgets
Jelly Bean makes it easy to personalize your home screens. The widgets are resizable and adjust easily on the home screen even if the screen has too many apps. Isn’t this the best way to customize your home screen?
Take and share photos seamlessly
With the Jelly Bean, you can view the photos instantly on a filmstrip view. Go through them immediately after taking the snaps and swipe away those you don’t like. Also, share your photos with your friends and family easily with just a few taps.
Smarter, sleeker keyboard
Welcome a more accurate, relevant dictionary in the Jelly Bean; it can guess the word you are about to type has improved text-to-speech capabilities and works without a data connection. This means you can type with your voice practically from anywhere.
Improved accessibility
Using the ‘Gesture Mode’ in the Jelly Bean, even visually challenged users can navigate the UI using touch and swipe gestures along with speech input. Additionally, this new version of the Android OS, also supports accessibility plugins which enable external Braille input and output devices via USB and Bluetooth. Hence, you can already imagine the number of apps which can be developed for the visually challenged users with the help of this feature.
Android Beam
With Android Beam, you can easily exchange data with a simple tap. You just can’t imagine what you can share using this technology. For example, gently tap two NFC-enabled Android devices and you can exchange contacts, web pages, videos, photos, directions and even your favorite apps with your friends and family. All this is possible without any data connection. Amazing isn’t it?
A brand new Google experience
Embrace a better, more advanced Google on your Android 4.1 device with the following functionalities:
• A new look and feel for search – See your search results in a knowledge graph in your Jelly Bean devices. Also, now you can easily and quickly get answers to your search queries and explore and browse the search results.
• Voice based search – Feeling too lazy to type and search? No need to worry, all you have to do is speak out loud your search query or just ask a question. Android will search the web with your voice and you can conveniently get quick answers. Powered by the Knowledge Graph, it brings you precise answers and precisely ranked search results.
• Get information right when you need it- Jelly Beans introduces a new feature – Google Now which provides you search based results right when you need them.
All the above mentioned pointers are some of the features in the Android Jelly Bean. It is obvious these features will provide a significant boost to Android apps development. Let’s just wait and watch how the new apps developed for this platform turn out to be.