Yesterday, we showed you how you could implement a feature somewhere representative of Android Jelly Bean (4.2)’s gesture-based keyboard, provided you were running a device on Ice Cream Sandwich or newer. As exciting as that was, it was only a going to be a matter of time before more of the new firmware’s key features and exclusives were ported through to those wielding older devices, and just a day later, here we are with the Android 4.2 camera and gallery, both of which have been successfully ported to a Galaxy Nexus running Jelly Bean 4.1.1.
As was the case with yesterday’s shenanigans, the process of installation is not for the faint of heart. Although modding and tinkering with an Android has gotten easier and easier as developers cook up tools with one and two-click solutions, this particular port is probably best left to the seasoned tinkerer.
So, the prerequisites are:
- A Galaxy Nexus, running
- Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1
- Root access
Before we get started, it’s important that you’re aware of what you’re doing before you go ahead and mess up your device. If you’ve very little experience in playing around with an Android, you should not proceed.
Step 1: Download the required .apk files.
Step 2: Using an app like Root Explorer, navigate to the system/app folder and ensure permissions are set to RW-R-R.
Step 3: Reboot your Galaxy Nexus.
AndroidCentral member dmmarck, who is in fact responsible for the port, explicitly states you should not try to install it. You can, if you wish, remove the old camera/gallery, which should be labeled as Gallery2.apk.
This is a nice, quick fix for the inherently impatient, but if you want seamless usability of Android 4.2’s new perks, you should perhaps wait for the official OTA update. Needless to say, the Android community is pretty rammed with folk whom have never understood the virtue of patience, so don’t be surprised to see more Android 4.2 goodies leaking over the coming days.
With the Nexus 4 the very first smartphone to ship with Android 4.2, the device is a very attractive prospect indeed, and by offering high-end features for a fraction of the price charged by rivaling handsets, Google’s latest gizmo will be a great way for the search company to showcase how far it has come in terms of hardware and software.
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