While millions of Android users are still waiting to be upgraded out of Android 2.3, Google is already updating a few of its already-fully-updated devices to a new version of Android.
The Galaxy Nexus smartphone, the Nexus 7 tablet, and the Motorola Xoom tablet are being upgraded to Android 4.1.2, the latest version of Jelly Bean. For those keeping track, that is the highest level update possible for Google’s mobile OS.
Meanwhile, the majority of customers are still sitting with Android Gingerbread, version 2.3.
The Jelly Bean upgrade could be considered a minor update for the Android platform, which is why it only brings the version number up to 4.1 instead of 5.0.
The most functional aspect of the update is that it looks different depending on the kind of device, so 7-inch tablets have a different presentation of Jelly Bean than 10-inch tablets or smartphones.
Among the updates are increased enhancements to the speed and performance of Android, new and sleeker widgets for the home screen, expandable notifications, and a more user-friendly app for viewing and deleting photos.
It also offers a new touchscreen keyboard for even more seamless text input, as well as new features for the ever-growing list of near field communication (NFC) devices, allowing users to tap phones together to enable things like photo sharing.
The 4.1.2 update adds things like a more functional landscape mode for the Nexus 7, and enhancements to the notification feature.
As of Google’s latest numbers reported earlier this month, Jelly Bean is powering around 1.8% of all Android devices. The market is still dominated by version 2.3, Gingerbread.
