Google announced a whole lot earlier this month, which you can read about here. Of course, one of the most exciting things revealed during that event was Android 4.3. While Google didn’t put much of a spotlight on their new version of Jellybean, there are quite a few new features (and some improvements) that Google brought with the OTA that they didn’t discuss at the event.
Multiple User Accounts
While Android 4.2 Jellybean brought multiple-user support with it (only to tablets), Android 4.3 brings additional controls to these user accounts. This means that a family can have, say 3 user accounts, where the ones for the parents have full control, but the one for their child can have restricted control (set by one of the parents, of course) in order to provide a safer experience in terms of trust with a device with barely any limitations. The user control goes so far as to prevent a particular account from even seeing that in-app purchases are available in a certain app unless they’re in an administrator account.
Also, switching between user accounts has now become faster than ever.
Open GL ES 3.0
Open GL has been around for a while, providing devices with outstanding graphics. Open GL ES 3.0 is the latest iteration of Open GL, and the graphics that it renders are simply mind blowing. Google showed off some shadow rendering in a bike race, and they looked pretty realistic considering that they were rendered in real time. The inclusion of Open GL ES 3.0 provides developers with a new level of flexibility to make gaming on Android a whole level better.
Smart Bluetooth Ready
Also known an Bluetooth LE (Low Energy), this technology allows devices supporting it to communicate with devices using minimal power to do the same, allowing for extended battery life and leaving Bluetooth permanently on. Google also announced that Android 4.3 now supports Bluetooth Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) services, allowing developers to take advantage of new APIs to present more functional apps. Also, With Bluetooth AVRCP 1.3, stereos can now display metadata while streaming media over Bluetooth.
Detailed Notification Information
Only for developers, Android 4.3 now allows developers to know exactly how many times their apps present notifications to users, and which one of them were useful in gaining the user’s attention. This will surely help in the development of better notification systems, preventing annoying notification popping up when we least want them to.
Digital Rights Management
If you’re a huge music fan who buys music legally (I know there are some of you out there), then you’ve probably heard of DRM. Now, Google has incorporated better support for DRM material, allowing for smoother playback of the same. The rare bunch of you should count yourselves as lucky.
Dial Pad Autocomplete
If you’re running stock Android on your device, then you’ve probably been missing out on this otherwise all-too-common feature. Well, Google finally decided to offer the same natively, though it is disabled by default. All you have to do is head over to the phone app, tap the three dots in the bottom-right corner, and tap setting. There, you will the option “Dial Pad Autocomplete“. Check that and you’re good to go!
Location Accuracy Features via Wi-Fi
Google has now increased the location accuracy of Android devices via location-scanning using Wi-Fi. This means that your antenna will always be active, though in a low power state (unless you choose to switch it on in the settings app) allowing for fine-tuning of your current location when GPS fails. Of course, GPS will always be available, but when it’s killing your battery, you now know that you can rely on Wi-Fi.
Keyboard Updates
Android 4.3 finally natively adds Hindi! And if that’s not enough, then you can show off your phone with Emoji. Enabling these in the settings apps under the “Language & Input”, and then tap hold the keyboard when required to select the language you want. Further, there is lower latency while playing games.
Improved Camera Settings
Android 4.2 brought a new way of changing your camera settings – you had to tap the screen and the options appeared in a circular fashion, where your finger blocked some, if not all, of the options. Well, Android 4.3 now revamps this a little, by presenting the options in a better fashion, over a really cool-looking arc. This provides the user with a better user interface to deal with the same.
TRIM
Android finally brings TRIM with it. TRIM is basically like “Project Butter revisited”, which means that it makes your phone much faster than you ever thought it could be, smoothening out a whole bunch of transitions and just making for a better experience. Also, you will note that Android 4.3 also increases your battery life, and not just by a little bit. I can now use my phone for two whole days on a single charge. These improvements make the original Nexus 7 look a whole lot better.
Sadly, Android 4.3 is only available for the Galaxy Nexus, the Nexus 4, the Nexus 7 (2012), the Nexus 7 (2013), the Nexus 10 and the Google Edition HTC One and Google Edition Samsung Galaxy S4. If you have one of these devices, then you better grab the update as soon as you can to enjoy these wonder updates. I’m sure this is a lot more than you thought Google launched with Android 4.3, but who’s complaining, eh? Let me know what you think of the same down in the comments section. If you enjoyed what you just read, then you can click here to view a list of articles by the same author(s). Till then, keep the comments rolling, swallow the red pill and accept this - thank you for reading, but our princess is in another castle!