Just yesterday, without realizing it, I uploaded what is the first public image of the new version of the Google operating system for smartphones and tablets such as the Nexus 7. Android Jelly Bean. We were talking about the application of Google I/O, and I did not realize that precisely one of the captures was from the desktop of Jelly Bean, showing a widget of the aforementioned application. In this image you can see some small changes, but very few. The most curious thing and what attracts the most attention is the time in which the device is located. Have you noticed?
It can be clearly seen how the changes are very slight with respect to Ice Cream Sandwich and the Holo theme that predominates on all devices with Android 4.0 since its launch. For example, Chrome It is positioned as the default browser, which was to be expected, since it has already started working in Ice Cream Sandwich. However, it is noteworthy that it is already above Android Robot as the browser chosen by Google, which means that it is now more than just a beta test. The same can be said of the icons, which have very few modifications, and retain the style of the ICS interface.
However, we do see some changes in this capture that confirm that it is Jelly Bean, as is the case google search bar, which by default becomes a translucent gray color. The top bar still retains the blue icons, so we imagine that it is the main color, along with the black background, that will predominate throughout the new Jelly Bean interface. The fact that all these changes are very small and still retain the essence of Ice Cream Sandwich leads us to think that Jelly Bean will be more of a small update, and not a big leap as it happened when it was left behind Gingerbread.
What changes in the Jelly Bean interface compared to ICS
In addition to the widget and translucent search bar, Jelly Bean incorporates a new icon for voice search or with a light touch-up in some shortcuts like Contacts. The launcher maintains the Holo aesthetic, but adds smart widget resizing: when moving one, the system it flows back the icons and resizes if there is space, which makes customization faster and less cumbersome. All of this retains the characteristic blue accents and dark backgrounds.
Project Butter and performance improvements
One of the pillars of Jelly Bean is Project Butter, a set of optimizations that pursues a smoother feel and a more consistent response. To achieve this, the introduction of triple buffering in the graphical output, vsync applied to all drawing operations and a CPU boost when detecting touches, avoiding delays when the processor is in low power. On compatible hardware, the goal is to maintain 60 fps in scrolling and animations. The result is a smoother interface, with much more stable transitions and scrolling.
Google Search, voice, and the boost of Google Now
The revamped search widget isn't just about looks: the app Google Search is updated with more natural voice responses and results organized in Knowledge Graph-based cards. In addition, it appears Google Now, which leverages calendar, location, and preference data to proactively display helpful cards: traffic based on your appointments, sports scores, flight changes, or relevant nearby locations.
In addition, voice dictation is gaining ground with the possibility of working offline in certain languages, and the keyboard improves its prediction and gesture writing, getting closer to the best solutions on the market.
Notifications and features introduced throughout Jelly Bean (4.1 to 4.3.1)
Jelly Bean opens expandable notifications to action buttons, allowing you to interact without opening the app (reply, archive, like, etc.). Later versions of the same family will include Quick Settings, widgets on lock screen, multi-user on tablets and screen savers Daydream. It is also added Miracast for wireless displays, support for Bluetooth Low Energy, OpenGL ES 3.0 and compatibility with 4K resolution on prepared hardware.
The system expands languages ​​(including right-to-left scripts), offers autocomplete in the dialer, Wi‑Fi location in the background, restricted profiles on tablets and security improvements such as SELinux, Always-on VPN and app verification. For developers, Improved DRM APIs, updated encoders with VP8, notification monitoring and a more complete compilation analysis.
Another key ecosystem change is the decoupling of functionalities in Google Play Services: Many Google APIs are now updated via the Play Store, reducing the dependency on a full system update and mitigating the fragmentation. Even Android Beam It evolves to use NFC as a Bluetooth sending trigger, facilitating the exchange of files between devices.
Jelly Bean release date
Even so, and returning to the upper bar, the time the device is at is very striking, the 25:10. Unless Google intends to make the days longer with its new Android Jelly Bean, this can only mean two things. On the one hand, that they have set a random time, which does not exist, so that it cannot be related to anything, or on the contrary, that these figures have a special meaningWe assume Google intended the latter, since entering a time that doesn't exist, 25:10 PM, would have aroused more suspicion than entering another existing time.
Now, what does it mean? Well, it's not entirely clear. It can't be a reference to the new version's numbering, obviously, since two options were considered: Android 4.1 or Android 5.0, and it doesn't fit into either of the two cases. However, it could fit into the release date of this update, which would fall on October 25, 25/10. Either way, Google is likely to talk about it on stage. Google I/O, where I could present its Nexus tablet and that clues like this are cleared there.
The first public image of Jelly Bean confirms a continuous evolution on ICS, focused on fluency, usability improvements and a more agile ecosystem thanks to Play Services. Small visual tweaks and major internal changes marked the beginning of a more polished Android experience.
