All new and highlight features of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

Google has officially announced Android 4.3, and it’s another gradual update to Jelly Bean, but what’s really new about it? We've broken down the 10 biggest new features including the ones that made it into the highlights - the new multi-user system and the fact that with 4.3 Android should run even faster and smoother.

In reality, it’s clear that Android 4.3 is not a huge update from a user perspective. Google has already done the interface polishing with Android 4.0 and its beautiful Holo UI language and Roboto font.

Now, with 4.3 it is focusing on features that developers will appreciate and the ten innovations listed below will be of most interest to devs, not average users. With over 1 million applications in the Google Play store, Android now can finally say that it has the largest app catalog, bigger than Apple and needless to say multiple times bigger than Windows Phone.

Android 4.3 makes it possible for developers to bring really console-grade games with support for Open GL ES 3.0 graphics and many under the hood improvements in the way the system handles visuals. It is adding tons of possibilities for accessory makers with Bluetooth Smart and Low Energy support. It is opening a new realm for those that want to implement location in their apps with hardware geofencing. All of that is right below, with a quick explanation of each new features in Google’s own words, take a look.

A simple interpretation of Andorid 4.2 Jelly Bean new features

Google has announced the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS and latest Nexus devices for days. While Android 4.2 isn't a major upgrade, it does bring significant improvements to the popular, open-source mobile operating system. Some of the Android 4.2 upgrades are minor. Sure, it might be nice to use the Photo Sphere feature to stitch together photos to from Google Street View style panoramic images, but you're not going to do that more than once every blue moon. It's also nice that the 4.2 Play Store app includes a personalized music-shopping function, Music Explorer. Other new features, however, will want you to make the jump. Today, I would like to make a simple interpretation of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS new features.

Multi-user support: On Android 4.2-powered tablets, but not on smartphones, you'll be able to have multiple users. Each user will get his or her own setup. That means, for example, you can have your own home-screen, background, widgets, apps and games, while your spouse or office partner can have their own unique tablet experience. You can set this up so a new user must login to the tablet or they'll be able to simply hit a button and away they'll go with their own tablet take.

Miracast: From Tablet and Smartphone to TV: Miracast is the trade name for Wi-Fi Direct or WiDi. This is an 802.11n compatible network protocol for display-sharing. With a compatible device or a Miracast adapter, you'll be able to stream Internet TV shows and movies from your smartphone or tablet to your TV. Miracast adapters will be available this quarter.

Gesture Typing: If you use Swype, you'll find the same basic functionality to make on-screen keyboards more useful in Gesture Typing. This probably won't be enough to sway hard-core Swype users away from their favorite virrtual keyboard, but it will show screen-typers that there is a better way than using a display keyboard than just as a QWERTY glass keyboard.

Smart Screen-Savers: Android 4.2's Daydream is actually a smart screen-saver. It lets you display photo slideshows, news headlines, and the like.

Google Now update: In the updated Google Now, the app could help you check your ticket, order, hotel, etc. and remind you upon pre-set time. But these functions require authority. Meanwhile, Google Now also added to display movie, concert, stock and news.

Quick Settings: Another advantage of Android 4.2. When you drag down the notice board with a single finger, it would display Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, brightness, battery, Flight mood and a button to enable you enter the full settings. But when you drag down the notice board with two fingers, it would be a short-cut towards quick settings, which will be quite convenient for those who change settings a lot for various purposes.

HDR Mode: This is the first time for Android cameras to have HDR mode. HDR shooting requires at least two shots for the same scene. The images captured will melt into one single picture in different exposure. This would make exposure more reasonable for the bright and dim parts of the images.

Update of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for Samsung Galaxy S III Is Now Available

For a long time period, people were waiting for the Samsung Galaxy S III and finally it got released days ago. All features of Samsung Galaxy S III are considered perfect, though it is only operating on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. If those people who are OS-addicted, the Android 4.0 ICS might be not enough. However, the Samsung does not disappoint its fans and supporters by announcing the update availability of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for Galaxy S III. Samsung has been prepared to commit to releasing a timely update of OS on Galaxy S III ever since the Jelly Bean was announced. And now, Samsung has made it possible for you to update your Galaxy S III to Jelly Bean.

Galaxy S III Jelly Bean update new features:
Project Butter - smoother UI animations with higher frame rate
Google Now
Offline voice typing support
Better notification area with expandable notifications
Better Settings organization
Two different modes for home screen behavior
Resizable pop-up play window
S Note app replaces S Memo
Faster web browser

Sadly, the update will cost you your official Flash support, but at least for now you still get the option to side-load a modified Flash apk if it's a must-have for you.

We have all known the great performance of Samsung flagships operating on ICS. When the company allows users to update the flagships to the latest and greatest 4.1 Jelly Bean, we can imagine how great the phone performance would be.

By the way, for certain owners of the Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) or the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1, some good news has arrived - the OTA Android 4.1.1 update for both tablets has been made available. If you're rocking the GT-P3100 or the GT-N8000, all you need to do is follow the directions for each tablet. Before you start, you need to make sure that each device has the proper firmware base. That would be N8000DDALH1 for the Tab 2 7.0 and P3100DDBLH3 for the Note 10.1.

Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update available for unlocked Galaxy Nexus

Have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus that isn't running on Verizon or Sprint? Well good news! The update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean has started rolling out and should be hitting your phone in the next couple of days. The update brings with it Google Now, new notifications, and a much more responsive interface thanks to Project Butter.

In the Google+ post that announced this exciting bit of news, Google also mentioned that the Motorola Xoom, Nexus S, and other Galaxy Nexus phones (it presumably meant those running on Sprint and Verizon), were the next devices in line to receive the upgrade to Jelly Bean. The company also stated that the Nexus 7, which is shipping later this month, would be running the latest Android operating system--something which it had already announced at Google I/O last June.

Unfortunately, outside of the Nexus 7, Google didn't give a timeframe for when we could expect the update to become available to those other phones (and tablet). Hopefully it's sooner rather than later, but at least for now more people can enjoy the benefits of owning a Google developer device.

Galaxy Nexus related guides

How to convert Blu-ray to Galaxy Nexus videos

How to Download YouTube to Galaxy Nexus S