android 4.1 review

Instead of jumping ahead a full version number from 4.0 to 5.0 with Android this year, Google has wisely decided to slow down the new feature freight train just a little, instead expanding upon the solid foundation introduced with Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich last year.

Although this decision may have more to do with slow adoption of ICS (Android 4.0 is available on roughly 10 percent of devices even a year after its unveiling), the iterative release allows Google to catch its breath while hopefully allowing carriers, developers and users alike the chance to play catch-up.

Of course, that doesn't mean Google abandoned its traditional sugary confection-themed naming scheme: The name's Bean… Jelly Bean… and its mission is to hone Android into a leaner, meaner mobile operating system.

Where Android 3.0: Honeycombwas exclusive to tablets and Ice Cream Sandwich attempted to port the slicker UI over to smartphones as well, Android 4.1 is intended to smooth out the platform's remaining rough edges – while hopefully having more success at widespread adoption than its predecessor did.

In the meantime, Google is seizing this opportunity to not only show OEMs how Android tablets should be done but also swat away unwelcome rivals forking its older mobile OS as their own. Built in conjunction with Asus, Google begins shipping its own seven-inch Nexus 7 tablet this month, the first device to come with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean preinstalled.

Will the changes in Jelly Bean be enough to finally make the ambitious goals of Google's Mobile Handset Alliance a reality? Or will handset makers and carriers continue to bog down Android with their own skins, bloatware and other encumbrances?

We may not have the answers to those questions, but there's no denying that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is the best version yet – assuming your device is capable of installing it in the first place.

for us, the biggest improvement to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is also the least obvious – that is, until you actually start using a device running the OS.

Announced at Google IO 2012 as the curiously named "Project Butter," the engineers behind Android 4.1 have made a concerted effort to finally shake the lag and general lack of responsiveness Android has historically been known for.

These claims are not just empty promises: For perhaps the first time ever, moving around within Android is just as smooth as iOS, whether it's from the smaller display of the Galaxy Nexus or all seven inches of the Nexus 7.

Google used a variety of methods to accomplish this feat, ranging from "vsync timing" (ensuring a consistent frame rate across all screen drawing and animation) to triple buffering, which appears to be the key component which results in an overall smoother feel across the user interface.

However, it's not just improved frame rates and faster gesturing that makes Jelly Bean fly. Android 4.1 also synchronizes the very touch of your finger to its vsync timing, attempting to anticipate where you'll want to go next.

Finally, the software steps on the gas at just the right time, offering a boost in processing power at the next touch event to cut down on any remaining latency.

None of this tech jargon is going to mean much to end users – all they'll know is that the system is more responsive to their touch, allowing faster browsing, faster searching and faster access to their media content.

Check out our Project Butter video test using the Google Nexus 7 tablet below.