Android 4.2 Jelly Bean – Android Planet

Android 4.2 is a small but fine update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Android Planet puts all the changes, innovations and improvements for you at a glance, including the new Notification Power Controls, lock screen widgets and the whole gift Photo Sphere. With the latter, you can take pictures at 360 degrees, and view the photos in the same way as Google Maps photos are displayed

Latest news about Android 4.2

Google Now & amp.; Notification PowerControls

The smart search assistant to get Google Android 4.2 a greater role. While most functions just yet available in English, you will notice that this is the future for Android and mobile technology is generally a sidekick who, without that you indicate it, already know what you want – including those based on the time, location, interests, searches and inbox.

However, if you do not want this, you can turn off Google Now. Additionally, Google Now is also made compatible Android tablet with a large screen (10 inches or larger).

The alternative Android software had been longer, but after five years, Google has also finally PowerControls to added to the notification bar. These PowerControls are already available from manufacturers such as Samsung and LG, and are a great favorite of the alternative software developer CyanogenMod.

With PowerControls allows you to quickly manage essential elements of your smartphone without having to go to the settings. Think of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, screen brightness, synchronization and so on. The new PowerControls your range by dragging the notification bar down and pressing the relevant icon. To reach them faster, you also have the ability to swipe down the notification bar with two fingers.

Lockscreen widgets and a new clock app

Google wants the lockscreen, yet one of the most boring windows from your smartphone, becomes more interesting and topical. Therefore, you have the opportunity to place on the lockscreen some widgets in Android 4.2, which you can choose from several tabs as lockscreen.

For example you can from the lockscreen left swipe to your Gmail widget to view. More information Google has currently not yet been given on the lockscreen widgets.

Another improvement in Android 4.2 is the new clock app, which looks a lot more simplistic, ensuring the Holo-design of Android. The new clock app has a built-in world clock, stopwatch and timer. And yes, it is these little things that many have looked for a long time in Android.

Photo Sphere

Photo Sphere and the new camera app are (small) flagship Android 4.2. The camera app has been updated to a large extent with a design that allows you to access all features via a single finger. This way you hold the smartphone with one hand while selecting settings and a photo shoot. After you’ve taken a photo, you can à la Instagram add a filter and save the photo.

Photo Sphere is the improved version of the panorama function: you can make with Android 4.2 genuine 360-degree photos and displaying the same way as Street View in Google Maps. See the above video that explains the function step by step. “We were inspired by Street View Google Maps. Photo Sphere has the same effect: it looks like you’re actually there, and you can zoom in on every detail, “said Google’s Hugo Barra. The Photo Sphere photos can be displayed on Android 4.2 devices and via the photo gallery of Google+. And as expected, take photographs many megabytes.

Gesture Typing

fans of Swype and other similar applications can squeeze into their hands: Android 4.2 standard includes the ability to type instead of words, to sweep the words – as with Swype, indeed. As a great lover of the Vanilla Android keyboard I am enormously happy here partly because I do appreciate just turn Prefer no additional apps on my phone that I function Swype – really – do not need. According to Google, the feature completely rebuilt and you, like Swype claimed all those years, actually type faster. How good is the word prediction remains to be seen. However, a very interesting addition is it.

Multiple user accounts for tablets

> a tablet is becoming a family unit. To prevent accounts and apps run together, Google introduces Android 4.2 support for multiple user accounts. This allows you to create an account for each family member who is or can customize their home screens, settings and apps to your liking. Even data from apps like saves games or the Twitter login, be per user stored separately.

The feature is also useful for children, because you can as a main account to set up a special children’s account for example, apps can not download the Google Play Store. It may save you a small fortune on your credit card. Support for multiple user accounts is a unique feature of Android 4.2 which has no competition at the moment.

Miracast Wireless Display support and Daydream screensavers

Miracast is a popular feature that allows you to view the screen of your smartphone on your TV via Wi-Fi and it is called an industry standard. This means that the coming period much television and smartphones here to make standard use.

If you have that supports Miracast no television, you can buy a special dongle for it in the USB port of your TV stop. Also Daydream screensavers is new, but a really fascinating job is not. Daydream is a screensaver for your Android device that you captured photos on a black background shows.

Read more about Android versions?

After Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Or see our entire Android versions overview.