12
Feb
Jelly-Bean-Logo

New Android 4.2.2 Features: Toggle From Quick Settings, Better App Download Notifications, and Some New Sounds!

Posted by in Jelly Bean 4.2, News
Last Updated: February 20th, 2013

Android 4.2.2 is out, and while an OCD-fueled 4.2.2 edition of Getting To Know Android is on the way, we figured it would be a good idea to highlight the big user facing changes that came with this release. We already covered the new ADB Whitelist and posted the raw developer changelog, so this should be the last of the important stuff.

New Download Notifications

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First up is the new notification for in-progress app downloads, which now shows the percentage and an estimated time remaining for your app downloads while they are happening. Or, if you want to be technical about it:

Calculate speed of in-progress downloads and estimate time remaining
until completion.  Uses a moving average that is weighted 1:1 with
the most recent 500ms sample.  Funnels timing data to notifications
through DownloadHandler.

07
Nov
truelyoutrageous

[Updated] Google Nexus 4 Review: The Beautifully-Crafted, Premium Flagship Phone That Android Deserves

Posted by in LG, Nexus 4, Reviews
Last Updated: November 16th, 2012

The most important phone of the year has arrived. We not only get a new version of Android, but a new approach to hardware design, too. This isn't just any new piece of hardware; this is (hopefully) the start of a revolution in design and materials for Android phones. This Nexus 4 hardware is so good, so well-built, and made with such attention to detail, that it is the new high bar for any hardware - not just Android hardware. The standard cheap plastic slabs aren't going to cut it anymore after this.

Besides the killer hardware, it's also the first phone with Android 4.2, which isn't hugely different from 4.1; in fact, it's still known as "Jelly Bean." There are a few new goodies, most notably lock screen widgets, an overhauled camera app, and a beautifully designed clock app that no doubt indicates the future design direction of Android.

01
Nov
wm_IMG_0979

Initial Impressions Of The Nexus 4 - Raising The Bar For Design, Materials, And Build Quality

Posted by in Jelly Bean 4.2, LG, Nexus 4
Last Updated: November 14th, 2012

Finally. Since Hurricane Sandy flooded out New York and canceled Google's press event, we've been trying everything we can think of to get a review unit. Late yesterday we got an email back from an awesome Googler (thanks!), and I immediately flew out the door to go rescue a Nexus 4 from New York. We got one! Mission accomplished!

I have a million things to work on now: a full review, a bunch of GTKAs, and teardowns of everything. First, though I figured I'd quickly show off the new Nexus:

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For starters, the build quality and materials are amazing. As soon as you pick it up you know you're holding something that is built with more love and thought than a Galaxy Nexus or GSIII.

29
Oct
2012-10-29_10h34_23

First Video Of LG Nexus 4 Shows Up On Swedish Blog, Shows Off Android 4.2 And Quick Settings

Posted by in Leaks, LG, News, Nexus 4, Videos

At this point, the LG Nexus 4 is the most-leaked phone since, well, that other phone. Today a video from the carrier 3 in Sweden has popped up on YouTube with a near two minute look at the device, showing us around Android 4.2 a bit. The phone itself looks just like all the pictures we've seen. The video also confirms the Quick Settings menu Ron found. Conveniently, users will access it via a button, not a second pull-down shade.

Update: The video was pulled, but we've added a mirror. Once something's on the internet, it's there for good.

15
Oct
qs_coming_soon_thumb7

[Exclusive] Android 4.2 Alpha Teardown, Part 1: Quick Settings - The Second Pulldown Panel [Video]

Posted by in Android OS, APK Teardown, Exclusives, Features

Welcome to the continuation of our Android 4.2 extravaganza. If you haven't guessed by now, we don't just have an unreleased version of Gmail; we have an entire LG Nexus system dump. Some LG Nexus prototypes are supposedly running 4.1.2, but the build we have is something different - something newer. It's an in-progress 4.2 build. Most apps in this build identify themselves as version "4.2-[###]" or "JellyBeanMR1" (4.1.2 is JellyBeanMR0). The source asked us to not release the dump, so we won't. Sorry.

What we can do is give you as much information as possible about it. This Android 4.2 build is really different, in that almost nothing works on a regular phone.