So, the big mobile operating system news yesterday did not have anything at all to do with a certain fruit, but it is no less sweet to one’s ears. I am talking about Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean which was introduced to the masses at Google I/O Conference. Well, it seems that there is an Easter Egg hidden within Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which is similar in the nature of access as with previous versions of Android.
Tapping repeatedly on the version number under Android’s “Settings” menu would see a game that nudges your finger to flick a jelly bean candy around a location which lacks one important physics law – gravity, and this is a perpetual situation. Just watch the video above to get a better idea on what I am talking about. After all, a picture speaks a thousand words – so imagine what a video would do with volumes and volumes of words. Which of the previous Android Easter Eggs are your favorite?
Less than 24 hours after Google wowed the world with the announcement of their Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system update, here we are with a leaked version of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean ROM for the Galaxy Nexus already making its rounds online. This leaked ROM is meant for ‘takju’, which actually is the GSM-enabled version of the Galaxy Nexus that comes with Google Wallet compatibility, but it has been tested to run just fine ‘yakju’, the standard issue device which is also from the GSM Galaxy Nexus stable – and both devices will run the leaked ROM without any known issues.
If you happen to own either one of the two GSM Galaxy Nexus mentioned, then you might want to give this leaked ROM a go. Of course, if you are not too sure of what you are doing, then steer clear of it and wait for an official update release. That is normally the best way of doing things for those who always tread on the safe side.
This week the folks at Google have revealed a device manufactured by ASUS and made for the media-consuming public: the Nexus 7. This tablet is the first of its kind in several ways. First in its value proposition: an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor inside a tablet with a price that up until now has been reserved only for devices with much, much less to offer. Second, the Nexus 7 represents Google’s first attempt at a tablet for their Nexus series. Third, it’s the first tablet to be working with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Hardware
This tablet certainly isn’t the thinnest 7-inch tablet in the world at 0.41″, but it’s extremely light, and the relatively soft plastic back is super comfortable to handle. This device is sized at 7.8″ x 4.72″ x 0.41″ so you can fit it in your back pocket if you wish, and the display, at a whopping 7-inches with 1280 x 800 pixel LED-backlit IPS (216 ppi), is more than fabulous enough for your HD-loving eyeballs. For comparison’s sake: the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is 196ppi and the iPad 3 is 264ppi, so you’ve got a device that’s right up there in the big leagues.
It’s brighter than you could possibly need it to be in any average day’s activities indoors, comes in a couple different color combinations: black and black (though our Google I/O edition with a black/white combination may be a sign of things to come), and feels really nice to work with. The back-facing camera is certainly OK, but isn’t a vast improvement over anything we’ve seen before, with quality just high enough that we’ll not be taking many photos with it at all – a good thing, too, since this device does not come with a camera app installed because of its push for Google+ hangouts – and eventual Project Glass interaction.
You’ve got a bit of a hidden bonus in the fact that this is one of the only tablets on the market today that uses a standard microUSB for charging. You’ll want to use the included power converter from the package, of course, but running through that little standard port is good for everybody. The speakers are generous on their own, with a single slit running down the back for blasting, but as you’ll come to realize through this review, this device was made more for sharing to other devices – like the brand new Google Nexus Q, introduced at Google I/O 2012 right alongside the Nexus 7. Have a peek at the Q in action here:
Software
Inside of this device you’ll find Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, an updated version of the Google mobile operating system that takes what Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich did for both the smartphone and the tablet and pumps it up with a few applications and features that make it all just a bit more tasty. This device is focused heavily on the Google Play store, as it will be immediately apparent once you’ve had a peek at this hands-on video:
This device is also ready to rock with the TegraZone for games. NVIDIA’s gaming portal TegraZone is a place we’ve visited quite a few times in the past few months here on SlashGear – have a peek at games such as Max Payne Mobile and Renaissance Blood to see what beasts await your game-loving fingers.
Then other than the Jelly Bean upgrades you’ve seen above, there’s not one whole heck of a lot here that wont be available to the rest of the Android universe immediately if not soon. If you loved Ice Cream Sandwich on your tablet – or even if you loved Honeycomb on your tablet, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how this device’s software takes advantage of everything great from those previous versions of the OS and adds a bunch more in all the right places.
Have a peek at a few benchmarks from this device as well to see how the software and the hardware add up with one another:
Connectedness
Though we’ve seen this device connect with the Nexus Q, and quite impressively so, we’ll need a bit more convincing before it’s time we call this a device better at sharing than the HTC One series or the Galaxy S III. Sharing is indeed at the center of this device’s launch, on the other hand, moving forth with mostly its hands on music and videos at parties and in the home. We saw this device demonstrated once and then demonstrated again with its ability to connect via Wi-fi to the Nexus Q. With the Nexus Q in tow, this tablet appears quite apt to control your whole home media experience quite easily – and it’s fun, too!
Battery
We generally want to be clear with you on how well the battery performs in a device after we’ve had that device for an extended period of time. As we’ve not yet had this tablet as long as we normally would for such a test, we’ll be filling this section in later – check back soon!
Wrap-Up
What you’ve got here is a fun machine. Google worked with ASUS and NVIDIA here to bring on a media beast like no other, offered at a price that, sold exclusively through the Google Play store online (for now), is almost undeniable. Even those who want a tablet just to fiddle with should and probably will be considering this device first in the near future – unless they want an iPad.
With the iPad and the Amazon Kindle Fire being this device’s biggest competitors, you’ll want to know: which one is worth buying? There’s no perfect answer, but if I had a choice between the three and would get the chosen product for free, I’d of course pick the iPad – it costs more than 2 times this device’s base price for a reason. If I had to choose between the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire, I’d not think twice about picking the Google product. Every single feature on this tablet, unless you’re an Amazon junkie, is better than the Fire.
Consider this tablet the next time you’re getting prepped for a new tablet experience, and one that’s inexpensive enough to toss down a couple of bills without hesitation. Hackers – this is your key to the future, there’s no other choice.
Also remember that, as it is with all of our reviews: this isn’t the end. If you’ve got questions you still need answered, want us to do additional tests, please feel free to ask or request – we’ll do our best! Meanwhile don’t forget to hit up our Android portal for more Google mobile OS action through the future!
It’s time for the inevitable comparison between the newest tablet on the market, the Google Nexus 7, and the dominant device in this category: the iPad. While the comparison might seem like the obvious thing to do, it’s much more sensible to compare to the Amazon Kindle Fire – and before we get too deep into the specifications on either end, you need to know: Google is in a much better position right this second than Amazon. While the Kindle Fire has been a relatively giant force on the market over this past holiday season, it’s had nothing on the iPad’s market share in the entire time it’s been on the market. As for the Nexus 7, you’ve got a beast that’s ready and willing to be a competitor for both tablets.
The Google Nexus 7 is a tiny little beast of a tablet – where the iPad is an iconic piece of machinery, the Nexus 7 seems to be a bit more of a solid set of elements pounded together with a hammer into a device that’s meant to be perfect for the several specific purposes it was made for. The Nexus 7 was made to be a device with which you download and consume media from the Google Play store – movies, television shows, music, books, and magazines – and of course games. The iPad, on the other hand, was made to be a companion for you in all situations where the iPhone is too small.
As far as a simple specs comparison, you’ve go the following. And keep in mind we’re using the 3rd Generation iPad, aka the Retina Display iPad: Screen Size: iPad 9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 pixel LED-backlit IPS (264 ppi) / Nexus 7 7-inch 1280 x 800 pixel LED-backlit IPS (216 ppi) Device Size: 7.31″ x 9.5″ x 0.37″ / 7.8″ x 4.72″ x 0.41″ Processor: Apple A5X / NVIDIA Tegra 3 Cameras: 5-megapixel iSight camera, VGA front-facing camera / 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera Connectivity: AT&T and Verizon 4G LTE, Wi-fi / Wi-fi only (at the moment) Internal Storage Size: 16, 32, 64GB / 8GB, 16GB Battery: 11666 mAh / 4325 mAh Media: iTunes Store / Google Play Store Color Options: White, Black / White/Black combo, Black
Additional elements: iPad: Bluetooth 4.0, 30-pin dock connector port, accelerometer, magnetometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, GPS, AirPlay mirroring to Apple TV.
Both of these devices have been pushed as heroes for their respective pusher’s app and media stores, and both devices are certainly going to get their fair share of 3rd party accessory support (if they haven’t already.) The Nexus 7 has the bonus – if you can call it that – of having several hardware/software companies with vested interests in its success: Google, ASUS, and NVIDIA. The iPad, on the other hand, has quite a few 3rd party supporters, with developers aiming apps at the one device specifically as well as Apple’s attention squared solely upon it for its software.
The price is going to be a giant factor for you if you plan on heading out to purchase a tablet today. The starting price of the Nexus 7 is just $199 while the iPad, in the iteration we’re looking at here and above, starts at $499. The iPad is an iPad, and there’s no replacement for that. The Nexus 7, also, is the only Google tablet in the position that it’s in at the moment as well with the backing of three companies in the way you’re seeing this week, and having a real push from Google (as heard in the keynote today – see our I/O 2012 portal for more) for hacking.
Have a peek at the photos and video above and below for a bit more hands-on action and be sure to let us know what you think of this battle asap! Also hit up our Android portal and Apple portal for the most awesome portal battle of all!
Google has opted to deliver Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as an OTA update to the ICS already on the Nexus phones and tablets it just handed everyone at I/O 2012, and there’s a manual download link available too. As Android Police notes, only GSM phones running the IMM330D firmware will take the update (which you probably don’t have, although a fresh phone from the initial Google Play run might work.) With this release already in the wild it’s surely only a matter of time before various third parties open it up to a wider variety of hardware. As always with early and somewhat untested software YMMV, keep an eye on those XDA Developers threads for the latest updates.
Update: Just that quickly, an SDK port has already popped up for the HTC One X. Of course, it’s described as unstable and the author has no plans to try to fix the numerous problems but if you’re desperate to see Jelly Bean you can, you just probably shouldn’t.
Update 2: And almost as quickly, a rooted version for ClockWorkMod Recovery and ROM Manager has appeared. Check the latest thread for all the details.
Phew! On the heels of big events from Apple and Microsoft, Sergey and co. got their time to shine at the Google I/O event this week in San Francisco. The show kicked off with a a keynote that featured insight into Android Jelly Bean, the unveiling of the Nexus 7 tablet and Nexus Q media streaming device, plus some seriously amazing demos of Project Glass, among others. Was the two-hour-and-change press conference enough to push Google out in front of the competition? Check out our thoughts after the break.
In Gingerbread, those tapping repeatedly on the version number with Android’s “Settings” menu were greeted with a picture of “zombie art” by Jack Larson. In Honeycomb, a bee found its buzz. In Ice Cream Sandwich, we saw an image of the Android robot dressed up in an Ice Cream Sandwich, which grows in size when you long-press it until it transforms into a Nyan Cat-style animation. Today, we grabbed hold of a Galaxy Nexus equipped with Jelly Bean (Android 4.1), and sure enough, the tradition continues. This time, we’re graced with a cutesy bean, and when long-pressed, you’re presented with a game that encourages you to flick candy around a gravity-less location… for eternity. Care to see for yourself? There’s a video just past the break.
Trapped in that post-Google I/O funk of hurry up, pre-order and wait? Maybe this can satiate your desires: a Nexus 7 guidebook detailing the basics of Mountain View’s upcoming slate. The digital tome covers standard Android usage as well as Jelly Bean specific tips — including the OS’ dynamically resizable widgets, using Google Now cards and “blink for face unlock,” a stock Android take on Samsung’s eyelid shuttering identification tweak. Ready to read up? Check it out at the Google Play link below.
Too lazy to download and install the brand new Android SDK yourself and don’t feel like tweaking an AVD for optimal operation? Don’t know what an AVD is? We don’t blame you, and that’s why we’re here. We fired up Jelly Bean in the Android emulator and started poking around a bit. Sadly, most of the most exciting new features — offline speech recognition, Google Now — don’t work. And we couldn’t really delve deep into the new notifications system thanks to some limitations on the SDK. We could, however, play with the new version of Maps and demo the new widget placement tweaks. Most of the UI should look familiar. In fact, the only obvious changes we noticed were the new search widget and a few tweaked buttons, like notification clearing option. You’ll also notice a new layout for the clock and date in the notification pull down. Mostly, from a aesthetic point of view, the refinements are minor, but welcome. Everything feels a little more spacious, less cramped, without becoming overly simple. Want to see it for yourself? Check out the gallery below and the video after the break.
We’ve got good news and bad news in equal measure for those pining after a Nexus 7 of their very own. If you’re reluctant to spend that much hard-earned cash at the Google Play Store, Google’s senior VP of mobile Andy Rubin has hinted to AllThingsD that the ASUS-made tablet could end up at retail stores before too long; the Play-only availability was just what Google had to mention at I/O. There could be some markup in other channels, given that Google is selling at what’s very nearly wholesale prices. The bad news? Google won’t be changing its attitude towards tablet-native apps anytime soon. Rubin sees Google Play content additions as key to driving Android tablet adoption, not the encouragement of tablet-specific app development — he’d prefer the one-size-fits-all model. We’ll see whether magazines and movie sales are enough to turn around so-so market share, but if you were hoping Rubin would address criticisms that Android tablet apps are just blown-up phone apps, you’ll have to keep waiting.
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Less than 24 hours after Google wowed the world with the announcement of their 
