Google’s next version of Android comes with some pretty nifty features, but one of the most exciting aspects is the platform development kit. Google will be punting this out to hardware partners two months before each new software update.
That means you should get a prompt update to the next version of Android as it launches, or very soon thereafter, rather than having to wait for months.
The platform development kit (PDK) looks to correct one of the most annoying quirks of Android. With hardware partners having access to it months ahead of the latest release, their devices should be bang up to date as soon as the newest version of Android launches. So no more waiting for an update to trickle through the cracks and finally drip onto your handset.
When it launches in mid-July, Jelly Bean will be available for the Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus, Motorola Xoom, and Samsung Galaxy S2. That’s in contrast to Ice Cream Sandwich, which was only on the Galaxy Nexus at launch.
Android owners have been irritated at having to wait for months for the latest update. Most of us are still waiting for Ice Cream Sandwich, even now that Google has announced Jelly Bean.
Jelly Bean comes with some great features. Google Now is a location-based service that gives you the right information just as you need it. So get to the bus stop, and it’ll tell you when the next bus is due. Handy. It’ll learn your commute and tell you what the traffic is like. And not only will it remind you of appointments, it’ll advise you on the best way to get there.
Search has also had a complete overhaul for Jelly Bean. There’s improved voice recognition, and answers appear on cards you can swipe away to get to a series of web links. A more accurate predictive keyboard is also there, along with offline voice typing.
Jelly Bean looks awesome too, with a higher frame rate making everything buttery smooth. It’ll even anticipate where your finger is to make the screen respond faster.
So there you go, new features aplenty. But what’s most exciting is that more of us will be able to actually get the update.
