In addition to launching the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 with HSPA+ and the Nexus 10, Google is announcing the next big version of Jelly Bean today, dubbed Android 4.2.
While the look remains the same on phones, the tablet layout has been overhauled, bringing a more consistent experience between screen sizes. One of the biggest upgrades for tablet users will be multi-user support, something that has been hinted at for months.
Google has altered the keyboard for both phones and tablets with Swype-like “gliding.” This comes days after SwiftKey also announced its Flow keyboard, which features the same typing mechanism.
Android 4.2 brings a new camera experience as well, including a updated user interface. Google has added Photo Spheres, the ability to create 360-degree panoramas, which can be seamlessly stitched together. These can be uploaded to Google+ or added to a location-based repository in Google Maps. This is going to be an amazing way to see new content from Android users around the world.
Google Now has been made more powerful, too. In addition to weather and transportation information, the service tracks packages, searches movie times and reviews, and view popular landmarks nearby.
Finally, Google is trying to mimic the seamless display sharing abilities of AirPlay with its new wireless display adapter. This will mirror any image on your phone or tablet to your HDMI-enabled TV, something that hasn’t been easy to do wirelessly on Android devices until now.
We’re sure there are many more features in Android 4.2, but we’ll have to get our hands on a Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 first.
What do you think? Is this a big enough update for you?
Source: Google
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