As expected, the “Breakfast with Sunder” event has yielded the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which marks an incremental enhancement over the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean version. It could well have been Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie that we could have been discussing here, but instead Google made the decision to bring in a smaller update. Key Pie Lime is still being speculated to bring about some changes to the Android platform. However, it will be wrong to assume the latest Android is just about a few extra features or the usual dose of bug fixes and enhancements that all updates seem to incorporate.
Clearly, one of the biggest changes that Android 4.3 offers is performance enhancement with better graphics rendering than ever before. This has been brought about thanks to the OpenGL ES 3.0 support that has been included in Android 4.3 for “highest-performance graphics,” which aims to “optimize texture management and increase gradient rendering fidelity.” Android 4.3 also brings with it better rendering for shapes and text, which ensures fewer draw calls issued to the GPU for 2D images.
Another improvement that Android 4.3 has is the inclusion of support for Bluetooth AVRCP 1.3, which means devices running this version of Android can easily pair up with car audio while also offering additional functionality as well.
Google has also introduced a way to introduce further restrictions to the multi-user profile so that users can now restrict what specific apps or games other users can have access to. This feature is only available for tablet devices, and will come in handy for parents to restrict their kids usage of tablet devices.
Android 4.3 also introduces better location accuracy, enabling apps to get location data. This is achieved by ensuring the apps have access to wifi even when it is switched off and not used for data access purposes.
Google has also introduced additional languages to Android 4.3, include Afrikaans, Amharic, Hindi, Swahili, and Zulu.
The Android 4.3 update also has a new keyboard feature included. It is now better equipped to recognize tap typing, which makes it easier for users to input text even when they are engaged in chatting via messages; there is a new emoji keyboard as well.
Overall, it’s another layer of sugar coating that Jelly Bean has been provided with, which no doubt will keep us satiated until the bigger Key Pie Lime update comes along, despite the belief that it is more than six months away and that there will be lot of action taking place until then.
Sovan Mandal is the senior tablet and tech corespondent for goodereader.com. He brings a international approach to news that is not just applicable to the North American market, but also Asia, India, Europe and others. Sovy brings his own writing flavor to the website and is interested in Science Fiction, Technology and Writing. Any questions, send an email