Waiting for a new version of Android to hit all of the devices set out upon release can become rather tedious, and although things are now a lot quicker than in the days of Ice Cream Sandwich, the only way to really guarantee staying up-to-date is to pick up a smartphone or tablet running on stock Android. During Unpacked Episode 2, Samsung made it known that Android 4.3 Jelly Bean would finally be coming to the LTE version of its flagship Galaxy S4, which carries the model number GT-I9505. After a relatively short wait, the update is finally here, in-keeping with the projected October release date. Details can be found after the break.
Well, that’s odd (and quite unprecedented). Seems like not only there is an Android 4.3.1 build in existence, but it’s polished enough that it has started rolling out to customers over the air, as well.
CyanogenMod, the most popular custom firmware for Android based solely on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), usually serves as a sigh of relief for the plethora of users that otherwise would be stuck on an older Android version owing to the fact that OEMs are not really that keen on releasing updates for older devices. With the release of Android 4.3, a lot of Android users were looking forward to tasting the latest goodies on their device thanks to the famous custom ROM, and CM developers have not disappointed - CyanogenMod 10.2 nightlies have started making appearances on the official channel for a variety of devices, which is based on Android 4.3.
Google has once again delivered a weighty bundle of features in the second iteration of the famed, ASUS-made Nexus 7 slate, and if you happen to reside in the UK and wondering when you would be able to purchase the heavily-lauded 7-inch tablet, you'll be pleased to learn that it will hit the Play Store before the end of the month. As confirmed by ASUS, the new Nexus 7 will be available in Britain from August 28th, and with the base, 16GB version retailing at just £199, it offers the same incredible value that made it a hit this time last year.
As tech fans, we're often sucked in by the glamorous new features of a firmware update. The release of Android 4.3, while perhaps not a lot to write home about in all, offers quite a few intriguing implementations, but while a control center for individual app permissions doesn't sound particularly exciting, it's certainly something many Droidsters have been waiting on for a long time. And now, a new hidden App Ops feature within Android 4.3 has been discovered, that allows the user to set individual app permissions, and in the tech world's constant demands for more control over its mobile devices, this is most certainly a tick in the box. And enabling it is a piece of cake, here’s how you can do it.
The market for 4K Ultra HD displays has yet to really take off thanks to the lack of supporting content, high prices, and general newness of the technology. Yet with both the forthcoming Xbox One from Microsoft and PlayStation 4 from Sony both offering varying degrees of 4K support, it would appear other platforms are now following suit. The source code of the just-released Android 4.3 Jelly Bean seems to indicate support for Ultra HD, and although this doesn't necessarily signal a flurry of 4K Android devices, it is clear that Google is thinking ahead to the future.
We've been waiting quite a while for Google's latest and greatest flavor of Android to get its big update, although it's not the Key Lime Pie (5.x) as some initially suspected, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean does bring a whole host of useful changes and enhancements.
Apparently, a certain Jeff Williams got his hands today on a used Nexus 4 from a Googler – which was purportedly running Android 4.3. What was immediately discarded as a hoax turned out to be true just hours later, when certain individuals well-versed with Android helped Jeff get a system dump of the build that was there on his Nexus 4. From there, it was merely a matter of minutes to reach to a point where anyone with a Nexus 4 can play around with the “leaked” build and experience Android 4.3 before official release.
Google I/O was expected to play host to the grand unveiling of Android 4.3, but despite a number of key announcements pertaining to the search giant's flagship ecosystem, the next version of Android remained firmly off the agenda. Following the news (or lack thereof), many sources then went along with the story that Android 4.3 release date could be set somewhere around summer this year, and today, that notion has been offered a degree of legitimacy with the sighting of the bumped software running on an LG-manufactured Google Nexus 4.
Anticipation for the Galaxy Note 3 and Android 4.3 release is approaching fever pitch. If you happen to be a tad bit excited about the prospect of its release, I'm sure you'll be impressed by the just-leaked benchmark scores.
