Android version 4.1 1.

The changes in the functionality and appearance of the interface are not so significant, so the system received the number 4.1.1, not 5.0. But we are interested in changes that will affect the choice of new ones and the ability to use already known games on Android 4.1.1. You can find them in the Play Market service or Google Play on your mobile gadget or tablet among the corresponding category of paid and free applications. The classification of game markets is very easy to use. You might even be surprised at how wide a selection of games you have available to you today.

The first improvement in Android 4.1.1 that catches your eye is the speed of graphics rendering and the responsiveness of the game menu. In this, Jelly Bean not only equaled, but also significantly surpassed the iOS and Windows Phone operating systems. Of course, it is worth noting that the Android version is 4.1.1. did not become as serious an update as it was with 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (literally translated - an ice cream sandwich). After all, this version at the time of Jelly Bean’s release was still too new a platform, which both software developers and application and game manufacturers had not yet been able to fully master. You may recall that a serious drawback of the early Android OS was the presence of two different operating systems for smartphones (Gingerbread) and tablets (Honeycomb). From which it followed that users always need to be sure whether the application is suitable for their gadget or not. In the current universal version, applications can run on any device. On top of everything else, there will be no problems with slow loading of games with 3D effects or HD graphics. A good OS level will allow you to enjoy any type of games. Needless to say, all the improvements expand your choice of games on Android 4.1.1 with high-quality graphics and any difficulty level.

Among the pleasant little things in 4.1.1, we can note the keyboard, which has become more responsive and accurate; of course, the button for switching languages ​​has also been preserved, which, oddly enough, appeared only in version 4.1. But the “swipe” function is here, but it is available in Android 4.2, so you can test it right now, for example, on the Lenovo S820 smartphone (http://stylus.com.ua/ru/products/details/ 163278/index.html). To do this, just activate this option in the settings.

After the release of OS version 4.1.1 in 2012, users immediately received improved interface and increased detail from game developers. But it is worth remembering that this operating system has high system requirements for the device. For example, a dual-core processor with a frequency of at least 1.2 GHz and a sufficiently large screen are required. If your smartphone or tablet meets these requirements, then go online, choose games on Android 4.1.1 and get quality relaxation, accessible to almost everyone, thanks to the development of high technology.

The Android operating system is the most popular shell for various mobile devices: smartphones, tablet computers, e-readers, etc. Many users prefer this particular operating system, basing their choice on the functionality, ease of use and availability of devices based on this OS. Google, the owner of the brand, is constantly working to improve the capabilities of the Android system, introducing new versions of the platform with commendable frequency.

The new Android 4.1 Jelly Bean has received a number of functional improvements compared to its predecessor. In particular, the changes affected the system interface; now all devices running this OS work faster and offer users an order of magnitude more comfort.

The history of Android 4.1

The platform for mobile devices is the brainchild of Google, and was built on the Linux kernel. Since the first days of the operating system, many applications for leisure and recreation have been adapted for it. The release of each new version meant even more convenience, functionality and comfort for users. Currently, smartphones and tablets running Android have firmly established themselves in the leading positions of the market, significantly ahead of competitors in terms of sales.

Features of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

You can spend a lot of time talking about all the advantages of the new operating system, but these will only be dry facts. Therefore, we invite you to familiarize yourself with them using the example of real devices. Let's take two new smartphones from Fly as test subjects: the budget IQ 430 Evoku and the flagship IQ451 Vista.

Fly IQ451 Vista

IQ451 Vista is a powerful quad-core smartphone, on a large 5-inch HD screen you can fully appreciate all the advantages of the new shell from Google.

IQ430 Evoke - despite the fact that the manufacturer positions this model as a budget model, the user will in no case be deprived of functionality.

These smartphones are running the latest version of Android – Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which has an accelerated interface. Compared to phones running on previous generations of Android, Fly's new products are distinguished by smoother and clearer rendering of desktop images, faster animation speed of all graphic elements, response to all commands is almost instantaneous, and there are no stutters.

It is worth noting the fundamentally new drop-down notification menu, which was previously only informative, now allows you to comfortably respond to messages, set reminders and make calls.

As for typing, Jelly Bean did not disappoint here either. Dictionaries have been carefully developed, and now they are not only “smarter”, but also adapt faster.

In addition, the new IQ451 and IQ 430 support voice input even if there is no connection to the Global Network. The developers of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and the comfort of users with poor vision took into account. Thanks to the Gesture Mode function, even those who, for some reason, have completely lost their vision, will be able to enjoy all the benefits of a smartphone without any problems.

The smart operating system understands a lot of voice prompts and gestures. Another advantage is the ability to connect a device that supports Braille. And how can we not mention the completely modified Beam! data transmission technology? Share photos, videos and music with just one click!

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean – maximum information at any time

This version of Android also excels with its advanced search system. In particular, any search query asked by the user is now displayed not as links, but as ready-made information. The algorithm is designed in such a way that a smartphone running this operating system independently filters out all unnecessary data, leaving only the most important.

The possibility of voice search is a pleasant surprise - if your hands are busy, just say the required phrase and the phone will find it automatically. The new software platform interacts perfectly with all services from Google. For example, with the Google Now application you can easily get a personal assistant who will promptly provide you with all the required information. With its help, you can find out the weather forecast, traffic conditions along your route, public transport schedules, and even the sports achievements of your favorite team!

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean – forget about restrictions!

The operating system for Android mobile devices has no restrictions on installing applications - users of smartphones with this operating system, to the envy of iPhone owners, can download and install what they like. But that's not all! All Android smartphones support a huge number of audio, video and graphics formats, and compatibility with Flash technology can be considered a shot in the head for applephiles. However, we will not reveal all our cards at once. It’s better that you see for yourself all the advantages of Android using real devices from Fly as an example.

With the release of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Google tried to tidy up the design of its mobile operating system, making it a little better and more convenient. This was the biggest Android update in years. Accordingly, Google decided not to rush into adding new features, but to focus on existing ones. This is how Android 4.1 Jelly Bean appeared, which brought the speed of this OS to a completely new level.

Faster than lightning

There are not very many changes in the interface and functionality of Jelly Bean compared to Ice Cream Sandwich, so it is clear why this version received the serial number 4.1, and not 5.0, as previously reported. However, the first thing that catches your eye when working with Jelly Bean is the high speed of graphics rendering and the responsiveness of the interface. In this parameter, Android 4.1 has caught up, and in some ways even surpassed iOS and Windows Phone, the smoothness of the interface has always been one of its strengths. Now owners of Android smartphones will be able to boast of the same. The thing is that Jelly Bean has learned to adjust the processor frequency depending on whether the user touches the display or not. When the screen registers touches, the processor speed increases, but during inactivity it decreases to save power.

Interface improvements

Just as a theater begins with a coat rack, the interface of any smartphone begins with the lock screen. In Android 4.1 it has changed a little, it has become nicer and more convenient.

The user is now offered three actions to choose from: moving from left to right removes the block, from right to left activates the camera, and from bottom to top launches Google Now.

The desktops have not changed in any way, there are still 5 of them, and you can place application shortcuts and widgets on them.

The only change is that all elements on the desktop now adjust to free space automatically. This means that you can now drag a widget or shortcut onto any desktop, and if there is free space on it for the appropriate size, it will be created automatically.

Another important change in Android 4.1 is the notification panel.

It now displays not just notifications about new SMS, missed calls or mail, but now they contain more information about this event. For example, the notification panel displays not only information about an incoming letter, but also its subject, as well as a small part of the content, with all this it is much easier to understand whether it is worth being distracted by the notification, or whether it can wait.

Very convenient with missed calls; you can call back or send a message directly from the notification panel.

The saved screenshot can also be sent directly from the notification panel to other applications. Actually, one of the interface updates was the appearance of a new sending window, which contains all the applications that can receive content.

The only thing I don't like about the notification panel is the lack of ability to reply or forward a Gmail email.

The main menu in Android 4.1 has not changed, it is still divided into two tabs “Applications” and “Widgets”, but scrolling in it has become smoother.

An interesting innovation has appeared in the gallery; images in it can now be viewed with a ribbon by pinching the screen with two fingers.

In addition, photos can now be deleted simply by sliding them up or down.

The Android 4.1 keyboard has minimal changes, but it adds support for additional languages ​​and improves multi-tap detection. Voice input, subjectively, has become a little better.

Despite the appearance of support for the Ukrainian language, in my firmware the keyboard did not have the letter “є”, and instead there was a Russian “e”. It is quite possible that this is a bug in this particular firmware, and the bug will be corrected in the final release.

The settings menu has changed a little, accounts are brought to the first screen, so you can immediately see which services the device is synchronized with.

In Wi-Fi settings, the ability to connect to secure networks with WPS via a PIN code has been added. It is also possible to avoid Wi-Fi networks with weak signals and stay on the mobile Internet.

The Contacts application now supports higher-resolution avatars; they can now be pulled from Google+ profiles. Dialing has become more responsive to keystrokes.

As you can see, there are no big changes in the Android 4.1 interface; rather, we are talking about small improvements, but they make Jelly Bean really more convenient.

Google Now and search

The biggest change in Android 4.1 is the new Google search and Google Now service. They are components of one application, which replaced the standard search in Android.

The new mobile version of Google search placed emphasis on voice input and providing ready-made answers to questions asked.

The result is a kind of analogue of Siri from Apple. Another thing is that Google does not offer the user to communicate with the phone, but produces more relevant answer results. All this works quite well with English, but if you choose Russian, the number of prepared answers is very small. For example, you can get a ready-made weather forecast, or convert kilograms into grams, but no more. Be that as it may, there is hope that this functionality will be expanded.

As for Google Now, this interesting service will collect information about the owner of the smartphone based on his search queries, current location, movements and even time zone.

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As creepy as it may sound, Google Now can be useful. It alerts you about weather conditions, an important meeting, traffic jams on the way to work, plane flights, how your favorite team played and much more. The user can choose which notifications he wants to receive and which he simply does not need.

All this works, although not very well yet, at least for the Russian language. But I didn’t use Android 4.1 for so long that the system could fully study me (no matter how creepy it may sound).

You can call Google Now directly from the lock screen by holding down the Home key or through the search widget, which is pinned to all five desktops.

For active users of Google services who are not too worried about their habits being studied by their smartphone, Google Now can be an interesting tool; everyone else can simply turn it off.

Second life of Samsung Galaxy Nexus

I used a Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.0.2 and can judge how the device has changed since the release of Jelly Bean. Don’t expect a miracle; in terms of functionality and materials, it’s the same smartphone, but it’s actually become more pleasant to use.

Due to the increased speed of the Galaxy Nexus, it may seem that it has moved to a new hardware platform, so well done is the software optimization. The autonomy of the smartphone has also increased, although only slightly.

Even the camera, subjectively, began to shoot better. All this shows how important the software component is in smartphones, and how it can influence their attractiveness in the eyes of users. If previously shells for interfaces were considered a great advantage of third-party manufacturers, then with the release of Android 4.1 Google largely neutralizes their necessity and superiority. As a result, for your money and with Jelly Bean, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, although it is far from flagships, becomes a very interesting offer. Apart from this, the advantage of the Galaxy Nexus is that Jelly Bean has already started coming to Google devices as an update, while for other devices it will be released in a couple of months at best.

Eventually

With the upgrade to Jelly Bean, Google's mobile operating system becomes a very strong offering. The best on the market in a number of parameters, including speed and overall functionality. The only huge downside to Android 4.1 is accessibility. No matter how funny it may sound, a huge number of Android smartphone users simply will not see the update to Jelly Bean. It’s good that if devices entering the market this year receive an update within two to three months, further delay will simply make Android 4.1 irrelevant against the backdrop of the upcoming system update, as happened with Android 4.0.

Despite the danger of becoming another pass-through version seen by 7% of users, Jelly Bean remains the best version of Android ever released and deservedly earns an Editors' Choice.

Introduction

Google's first steps into the mobile operating system market often seemed strange and absurd, the company resembled a blind kitten wandering at random. Of course, I am describing the impressions of an external observer, perhaps Google had a global development plan for Android for ten years ahead and the company is still sticking to it, but when I saw the first and even second versions of Android, there was almost nothing attractive in terms of usability of the system I didn't find it. This was the time of interfaces from manufacturers, and it was then, starting around Android 1.5, that HTC began to set the bar for system interfaces with its Sense. The shell from HTC remains one of the most convenient for Android to this day, but if earlier a device on a “bare” system was much less convenient than a device with Sense, TouchWiz or some GO Launcher, then, starting with the fourth version, the system received more or less user-friendly interface.

Android 4.0 introduced interesting solutions, but the most important thing is that the OS turned out to be quite convenient to use and there was no longer any strong desire to immediately install some kind of shell to continue working. In the Android 4.1 update, the developers went further - even more new useful functions, a general increase in the speed of the system and polishing its various areas.

Video review from Roman:

Speed ​​of work or Project Butter

At the presentation of Android 4.1, the greatest attention was paid to increasing the speed of the system. The developers said that smartphones based on the new version of the OS will use hardware resources, including the GPU, more efficiently, and for users this will mean pure 60 frames per second and incredible smoothness and ease of working with the system. Usually such statements are far from reality, but in the case of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, changes compared to previous versions are really visible, literally immediately and, as they say, by eye. The interface has become smoother and smoother, work screens scroll through without twitching, lists, for example, the address book, scroll through smoothly, without jerking and the slight tremor characteristic of previous versions of the system.

In general, we can say that in terms of smoothness and, dare I say, “pleasantness” of operation, the Android 4.1 interface comes close to iOS and, in my opinion, is equal in this parameter to Windows Phone, a system, one of the few strengths of which is times is the speed of operation and smoothness.

Google Now

One of the main innovations of the Android 4.1 update is the Google Now system. I don’t know how to “call” her more correctly, let her have an assistant. The essence of Google Now’s work is actually simple and has long been obvious, because Google, as you know, is one of the world’s main “evil corporations” that collects a lot of different data about its users. So, if previously the user data collected by the Android system was used by Google only for some of its own purposes, often unknown to us, now it can also benefit the owner of the device. Google Now collects different types of data: browser queries, search queries, map searches, calendar events and much more, and then analyzes it and provides the user with a certain amount of useful information. This is in theory.

Now practice. You can launch Google Now from the lock window by selecting the “Google” icon or from any window and menu of the system, simply holding down the “Home” button for a couple of seconds and also selecting the Google logo there or swiping up from the on-screen buttons.

Externally, Google Now is a simple window with a search form and the latest data, for example, the current weather. The weather is the first thing Google Now shows based on the location of the smartphone. Further more interesting. For example, if I search for a cafe or some pizzeria in Google Maps and, say, stop at the Papa John's pizzeria, then after a while Google Now will offer me a route to the nearest Papa John's.

One more detail needs to be noted here. The fact is that in Android 4.0 and 4.1 you can add browser synchronization with your Google account. And if you add your Google account to it, and on your computer you have Google Chrome also with a Google account, then the browsers will exchange data with each other. Simply put, even if I search for a pizzeria or cafe on my computer, a smartphone with Android 4.1 will then still offer me the nearest cafe or pizzeria, based on my requests from the browser on my PC.

The same goes for other requests. If I'm looking for a bus or trolleybus route, no matter from a smartphone or a computer, Google Now will show me the nearest bus stop and offer directions to it using Google Maps. Also, in theory, Google Now can show schedules of buses and other transport, but this area of ​​functionality does not yet work for us.

If you visit a certain place every day, Google Now will offer to make it a place of work after a couple of days, and if the request is confirmed, the assistant will show the estimated travel time from your place of work to your home every day, taking into account traffic jams and vice versa.

Other scenarios for using Google Now were also mentioned at the presentation. The assistant reminds you of upcoming calendar events, if it sees an event related to a flight, it tries to provide flight details and other information, notes frequent requests from sports teams, and then provides game results for frequently mentioned teams. To test all the capabilities of Google Now, you need to use a smartphone with Android 4.1 for two or three months, it seems to me, but I’ve only had a week of active use so far, so I simply cannot talk about all the features of Google Now. If you have other examples of Google Now working, share them in the comments.

Google Search

In defiance of the popular Siri from Apple or simply for the general development of the OS, Google decided to improve its search precisely by adding voice functions and increasing the wow effect. If previously Google Search simply returned search queries, now several new functions have appeared.

Firstly, Google Search displays some queries not only on the screen, but also in voice. If you ask about the weather or, for example, ask to calculate how much 2+2 is, the system will give a text result and duplicate it in voice. For now in English, but others will probably be added soon. You can already ask questions both in English and in many other languages, including Russian.

Thirdly, Google Search has several question forms for which answers are generated in a pre-prepared script. If you start a question with the words “what is”, the system will issue voice comments, forming them based on information from different sources. If you ask about some popular things: “what is space” or “what is Moscow,” the first answer will include a link to Wikipedia.

Google Voice Offline

The ability to enter text by voice in Android has been available for a long time, but while previously this required an Internet connection, the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update introduced the ability to enter voice offline. In the voice input settings, you need to select the languages ​​you want to speak to enter text and download their databases, after which you can dictate text to your smartphone even when it is in airplane mode.

Screen keyboard

There are two changes for the keyboard, and both will be important only if you use bare Android, because they have long been implemented in most serious shells and third-party keyboards. The first is the convenient switching of languages ​​with one button, and not by moving the space bar, as was the case before. The second is a system for predicting words for input, which gradually gets smarter, collecting a database of words based on entered messages, phrases in the browser, and so on. That is, if you write the phrase “hello, how are you” in messages for several days, soon the system will begin to offer to substitute the word “doing” after “hello, how are you...”.

Notification panel

Another important part of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update is changes to the notification panel. If earlier this panel was more informational in nature, you could view notifications in it, now you can also perform a number of actions with its help. For example, you can immediately respond to a missed call with a text message or call the number back without going to your address book.

New mail messages are displayed in one notification field with short pieces of letters. In the notification panel, you can like or comment on a friend's latest post on Facebook. In addition, some notifications can be expanded in height with a pinch of your finger, making them more informative.

Lock screen

It's high time for Google developers to borrow a good idea implemented in devices from Meizu, and later in shells from HTC and Samsung - the ability to quickly switch to programs and shortcuts from the lock window. However, so far only the first step has been taken towards this functionality. In Android 4.1, from the lock screen you can quickly go to fixed utilities: the camera and Google Now. Well, or just unlock the smartphone, but you can’t change the shortcuts.

Jelly Bean has also added a “fun feature” for unlocking the screen by detecting your face. If earlier you just had to look into the camera to unlock it, now, if you wish, you can check the box for mandatory blinking. That is, you need to look at the camera and blink hard for the smartphone to unlock.

Desktops

In my opinion, this is not the most important change, but it cannot be ignored. In the updated version of Android, you can change the size of widgets. Of course, they have not become completely rubbery and a large widget still cannot be compressed to the size of an icon, but now some widgets can be adjusted in size to the available space on the screen, making them more compact. This way, you can fit more useful information on your smartphone screen. There is one more important thing left for Google to do - allow users to change the size of icons, because on a screen with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, you want to place not 16 icons, but a larger number of them, fortunately, the screen sizes in modern smartphones allow this.

Another small but nice feature is the automatic alignment of icons when adding a widget to the desktop.

Google Chrome browser

Among other things, at the Google I/O conference it was announced that the Google Chrome browser for mobile devices is leaving beta status and that it will be the main one in the Google Nexus 7 tablet. The version of Android 4.1 that is now available for Google Nexus uses the previous Android browser as the standard one, but for 4.1 you can already install Google Chrome, as with almost any other version of the OS. There is no information yet about whether this browser will be standard for all smartphones that have received the update to 4.1.

What I like most about Google's new browser is the ability to sync with a Google account, which also syncs with the desktop version of Google Chrome. As a result, I launch Google Chrome on my smartphone, synchronize it with my account and get on my phone all the bookmarks from the desktop browser and even all the website tabs currently open on the computer in the browser.

In addition, in Google Chrome it is very convenient to navigate between open sites; all you need to do is flip the screens left or right.

The address book

There are no changes in the address book as such, except for one, which for some users (for me, for example) will be very important and joyful. Google has finally deigned to solve the problem with low-quality contact pictures after synchronizing the address book with Gmail. In Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the address book supports images up to 720x720 pixels.

Here's what caller images looked like in previous versions of Android if you used your address book with Gmail and synchronized it from time to time, or, say, switched from one smartphone to another and synchronized your contacts:

In Android 4.1, you can assign large, high-quality photos or pictures to your contacts, and after synchronizing with Gmail, their quality will not drop, as happened before. Moreover, if you take another smartphone with Android 4.1 and sync its address book with Gmail, you will get exactly the same high-quality contact pictures. Hooray.

The quality of pictures improves in all system menus where they are used, of course.

Camera

Externally, the camera interface has not changed much, but in terms of convenience it has become better. You can now access the gallery from the camera not only by touching the icon, but also by simply swiping your finger across the screen from left to right. Gestures are also supported inside the gallery. With a pinch, you can switch from viewing photos to flipping through them in horizontal mode. In the same position, you can delete pictures from the gallery; to do this, just swipe the photo down or up the screen with your finger.

Google Maps. Offline navigation

Along with the demonstration of Android 4.1, Google announced the release of a new version of maps with offline mode support. In fact, it was possible to view a selected map area in Google Maps without an Internet connection before, but, firstly, it was a test function, and secondly, it was not made very conveniently and clearly. Now you can download selected areas of the map to cache in the background in order to use them in the future where there is no Internet or while roaming, for example. You can download as many areas as you like, the size also varies, for example, you can download one of the areas of London or all of London and its suburbs at once.

Updated apps

Along with updating the Android 4.1 system itself, it also brings a number of updated applications. For example, the interface in the Google+ and YouTube programs has changed; both applications now have a sidebar with quick access to service sections and settings.

YouTube now has the ability to pre-load new videos from channels you subscribe to onto your smartphone. I don’t know if this happened before, in version 2.4 this definitely wasn’t the case, I can’t say for sure about the third.

Conclusion

At first, after the appearance of the Android system, only smartphone manufacturers, such as HTC and Samsung, for example, saved it. These companies added their own functionality to the OS, which they considered important, and the system grew and became more convenient due to this. After some time, interesting features began to appear in Android, and starting from the fourth version, the system, even without a shell, became quite good in itself. In the Android 4.1 update, the developers added to the OS some successful solutions from manufacturers' shells, as well as from iOS, and, most importantly, did not forget about the general increase in the speed of the system and the smoothness of the interface.

As a result, personally, the Jelly Bean update leaves only pleasant impressions on me. Of course, I would like to see more small changes and improvements in one update, but even what was added in 4.1 is quite good. It seems to me that Google, by and large, has one important problem left to solve - to reduce the gap of time that passes between the presentation of the next Android update and the appearance of firmware for real devices. Now this period easily reaches a year for some manufacturers, in my opinion, this does not go into any way and users should receive the update within two, maximum three months after its announcement on Google. While this is not the case, with each new update the system receives not only new satisfied users, but also many far from happy people with a negative perception of the OS due to the too long period of time for firmware to appear on devices after the announcement of the update.