Neowin: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean review

Neowin

Posts: 160   +1

When Google announced and showcased Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at the I/O conference, it was understood that Google wanted this to be a somewhat minor update to last year’s Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), so in this review, we'll just be covering all new features. However, if you want to have an insight of what Android currently offers, you should read our Ice cream Sandwich review then proceed to read this.

How does Jelly Bean look?

The build’s aesthetics generally looks like ICS but with a few tweaks here and there, which is a good thing. The problem that Android had previously was that the UI was and still is inconsistent in some areas. Jelly Bean adapts itself on the dark “Holo” theme, which is the Tron-like blue, black and gradient grey theme you can see in the settings below:

The theme itself is also a part of the open-source project for Android, which basically means that developers can adapt the theme to their apps, which was originally introduced in the ICS source – a good example of a current application that uses this is Boid for Twitter.

Boid looks fantastic, and I believe that by Android having an actual theme, it could make applications a little more aesthetically consistent in future. However, I do feel that something like this should have been done a long time ago, but still, it’s better late than never.

Read the rest of the review.
This article is brought to you inpartnership with Neowin.

Permalink to story.

 
I have the htc evor 4g lte, how would I know if I have jelly bean?

You don't.

Welcome to Android.

As far as I know the only device with Jelly Bean is the Google Nexus tablet. Android (or HTC) really does suck at loading phones with versions that haven't been released yet. If I were you Littleczr, I'd take it back, and buy an iPhone 4S. When the iPhone 5 comes out it'll automatically transform into it.

Sarcasm aside.... you'd go to Settings -> About Phone -> Software information and you'll see your Android Version. At least, that's how it works on mine, which is version 2.3.5.
 
I have the htc evor 4g lte, how would I know if I have jelly bean?

You don't.

Welcome to Android.

As far as I know the only device with Jelly Bean is the Google Nexus tablet. Android (or HTC) really does suck at loading phones with versions that haven't been released yet. If I were you Littleczr, I'd take it back, and buy an iPhone 4S. When the iPhone 5 comes out it'll automatically transform into it.

All Nexus devices (both tablets and phones) will get Jelly Bean.

Other than that, update availability is a mystery for third-party devices (like always).

At the very least I know if I get a 4S now, I will get iOS 6 and beyond.
 
lawfer...and how many of the actual features of your supposed "ios6 and beyond" will actually work on your phone (already read on a few sites features will simply not make the lower models)...and how long before crapply simply say..."nope not supporting that anymore time to buy our next shiny product"?
 
lawfer...and how many of the actual features of your supposed "ios6 and beyond" will actually work on your phone (already read on a few sites features will simply not make the lower models)...and how long before crapply simply say..."nope not supporting that anymore time to buy our next shiny product"?

Is this about Siri? Is that the best you can do?

An iPhone 3GS, released in 2009, still gets iOS 6 sans Siri. How many Android 1.6 Donut devices (also released in 2009) can even hope to get Jelly Bean? Don't worry, I'll wait.
 
Still no mention of any changes to usb device support or less-than-obvious changes.
 
"You don't.

Welcome to Android."

Nice trolling. But every Android tells you what OS it's running.

lawfer...and how many of the actual features of your supposed "ios6 and beyond" will actually work on your phone (already read on a few sites features will simply not make the lower models)...and how long before crapply simply say..."nope not supporting that anymore time to buy our next shiny product"?

Is this about Siri? Is that the best you can do?

An iPhone 3GS, released in 2009, still gets iOS 6 sans Siri. How many Android 1.6 Donut devices (also released in 2009) can even hope to get Jelly Bean? Don't worry, I'll wait.

If only there was a way for someone to compile the code without waiting for the manufacturer and package up an installer for the new OS... oh wait there is! Because it is open source...

And there are communities that do just that. Lots of them.
 
lawfer...and how many of the actual features of your supposed "ios6 and beyond" will actually work on your phone (already read on a few sites features will simply not make the lower models)...and how long before crapply simply say..."nope not supporting that anymore time to buy our next shiny product"?

Is this about Siri? Is that the best you can do?

An iPhone 3GS, released in 2009, still gets iOS 6 sans Siri. How many Android 1.6 Donut devices (also released in 2009) can even hope to get Jelly Bean? Don't worry, I'll wait.

If only there was a way for someone to compile the code without waiting for the manufacturer and package up an installer for the new OS... oh wait there is! Because it is open source...

And there are communities that do just that. Lots of them.

AND they do it better! bets of both worlds!
 
lawfer...and how many of the actual features of your supposed "ios6 and beyond" will actually work on your phone (already read on a few sites features will simply not make the lower models)...and how long before crapply simply say..."nope not supporting that anymore time to buy our next shiny product"?
You should look up what 3GS actually gets, seems like almost all the big changes are being left out of iOS6 for the 3GS, Siri is just one of the things.
 
lawfer...and how many of the actual features of your supposed "ios6 and beyond" will actually work on your phone (already read on a few sites features will simply not make the lower models)...and how long before crapply simply say..."nope not supporting that anymore time to buy our next shiny product"?

Is this about Siri? Is that the best you can do?

An iPhone 3GS, released in 2009, still gets iOS 6 sans Siri. How many Android 1.6 Donut devices (also released in 2009) can even hope to get Jelly Bean? Don't worry, I'll wait.

If only there was a way for someone to compile the code without waiting for the manufacturer and package up an installer for the new OS... oh wait there is! Because it is open source...

And there are communities that do just that. Lots of them.

You have said nothing I don't know. Look up what "open-source" truly means, and then come back to me. Android is hardly open source; releasing the source code of a closely modified OS to the public after the fact, is not really open source. Those communities you talk about don't get a say in the matter, that's precisely why they do the things they do <I>after</I> the OS is compiled. The only thing real open source about Android is when the Open Handset Alliance develops changes to the Linux kernel. Actual Android OS? Not so much.

But, we're getting off topic. I'm still waiting for an answer though.

"You don't.

Welcome to Android."

Nice trolling. But every Android tells you what OS it's running.

Trolling? I assumed since Jelly Bean is a new operating system update that was <I>just released</I>, him asking whether he has it or not, was a way of him asking whether he'll get it.
 
Back