Google announces Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, with Project Butter visuals and new Search, mid-July
Google has today announced the latest version of Android, 4.1. It is code named Jelly Bean and implements new technology from Google's Project Butter to enhance performance and visuals, along with a new Search experience.
Context & Ripple Effects
Android 4.1 arrives after Google made Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich official in 2011, continuing the platform’s named-version release cycle. A Galaxy Nexus store listing had already pointed to Jelly Bean as version 4.1, making the formal announcement a confirmation of the next platform step.
First-order effects
- Google pairs Android 4.1 with the newly unveiled $199 Nexus 7, making its first reference-grade 7-inch tablet an immediate showcase for the release.
- Android developers receive an Android 4.1 preview platform, while Nexus hardware is identified as the first target for the mid-July availability window.
Second-order effects
- Google’s Nexus 7 and the start of Play sales for movies, TV episodes, seasons and magazines connect the platform update to a Google-controlled hardware-and-content distribution point.
- Android device makers and carriers must prepare their own Android 4.1 plans against a Google reference device that foregrounds smoother visuals and Google Search.
Third-order effects
- If Google keeps coupling Android releases to Nexus hardware, reference devices become a more important way to set the software experience and demonstrate Google services before wider OEM adoption.
The trend: Android is moving toward tighter coordination between platform releases, Google-branded reference hardware and Google’s content and search services.