Oh boy, oh boy! Google today announced something big coming for all of us this November. The word is out, or should I say all the juicy details are out? Of course, I’m referring to the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). Right when we are all recuperating from the hangover brought about by the iOS 5, here comes Google announcing its latest, and possibly the greatest Android OS to date. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s all welcome Android 4.0 – Ice Cream Sandwich.
Wait, I’m assuming here that Google will let other Android smartphones update to Android 4.0, let’s hope that my assumption is not wrong. So, what’s in store for all of us Android smartphone users? Definitely a lot – an improved, more beautiful and streamlined user interface, full multitasking, NFC-supported information beaming, and so much more. Let’s take a closer look at each of the major features of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich then.
Beautifully Designed, Simple and Yet Functional User Interface
Honestly, as I was reading the new features of Android 4.0’s user interface, I can see its similarities with Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS for tablets. According to the Google Developers Blog, Android 4.0 will have refined animations and feedback throughout the system, making the user experience more engaging and interesting. The OS is using a new font called Roboto which is optimized for high-resolution screens. This font improves readability and gives the OS a sleek look.
Also, as you can see from the screenshots below, Android 4.0 will be using virtual buttons for Back, Home, and Recent Apps on its System Bar. This System Bar will be present across all apps but can be dimmed whenever you want full-screen viewing.
Full Multitasking
If you find Android’s multitasking feature in Android 2.3 Gingerbread or Android 3.0 Honeycomb as impressive, you’ll like this feature even more in Android 4.0. You can now jump from one task or app to another by simply tapping on the Recent Apps button. This will pull out a list of currently open task or apps which you can select to jump onto it. For Android Honeycomb tablet users, this is already a familiar feature. Ice Cream Sandwich allows the users to remove apps from the Recent Apps list by a simple swipe action – a very practical implementation of task management.
More Interactive Notifications Feature
Another great feature of the Android OS which we have grown to love and which was somehow copied in iOS5 is its rich notification feature. In Android 4.0, this becomes more interactive as it will now allow you to see incoming messages, play music tracks, see real-time updates from apps and more. If you’re using an Android smartphone, the notifications will appear at the top of the screen. If you’re using an Android tablet this will appear on the System Bar. The swipe action mentioned above for Recent Apps list is also applicable for removing individual notifications from the notification tray.
Enhanced Way of Grouping Apps on the Home Screen
Android 4.0 is also improving the way you group apps into folders on your devices’ home screen. You will now be able to drag one app to another folder easily. From the All Apps launcher, you will also be able to drag an app, get more information about the app or uninstall it. s.
There will also be a new favorites tray which will be visible on all home screens, specifically for Android smartphones. You will be able to drag apps, shortcuts, folders and other items in and out of this favorite tray.
The Famous Android Widgets Get Better
Google is certainly paying a lot of attention to Android’s home screen. In Android 4.0 you will now be able to embed live app content directly in addition to the usual checking of email, flipping through your calendar, playing music, checking social streams and more. Did I say that you can all this without leaving the home screen and launching an app? Pretty cool, right? Even better is the fact that you can resize these widgets to arrange them in sleeker manner on your phone’s home screen. Also, the app drawer now has a separate tab just for widgets.
Lock Screen
Android 4.0 will now let you launch the camera app right from the lock screen. Yes, similar to how the iOS5 does it. You will also be able to quickly response to incoming calls without the need to compose a new text. You will simply need to slide a control function to see a list of pre-set messages that you can send to the person calling you. Similarly, you can easily check your notifications by swiping down the notification bar without having to unlock the device every time.
Keyboard
Android 4.0 is also improving text input, making it even faster and more accurate (thankfully!). Error correction and word suggestion will also be greatly improved, thanks to new set of default dictionaries and heuristics. Finally, the updated Google OS also now has a powerful voice input engine with better voice recognition. The days of waiting are gone as it starts typing almost instantly as you speak. On the other hand if you need to pause for a second, go ahead. It waits on you!
Data Usage
Seems like the data overage problem that smartphone users are always complaining about caught Google’s attention. Android 4.0 now comes with a handy data usage utility that actively monitors your data usage. It provides information about bandwidth used by your apps, the available bandwidth and also anticipates your usage for the remaining billing cycle.
Besides that, you can set a usage limit at which you can get a warning or have all mobile data disabled. A cool feature is that you can see the bandwidth used by each app and even disable the background data connectivity on a per app basis.
Social Communication and Sharing Features
We’ve only discussed the overall user experience of Android 4.0 and it feels like we’ve covered so much already. There are still two more general, new features of Android 4.0 left to discuss. One of this is the Android 4.0’s communication and sharing features.
The New People App and Profiles Features
Responding to the signs of the times, well in other words being more social, Android 4.0 will link together social groups, profiles and contacts for more accessibility. There will be a new People app with large profile picture, phone numbers, addresses, and accounts, status updates, and of course a new button that connects you to social networking sites. You’ll have a new, “ME” profile which you can use to share with apps and people. The integrated contacts list will be easier to manage.
More Integrated Calendar and Visual Voice mail Features
Google has also updated the Calendar app on Android 4.0. This now brings together personal, work, school and social agendas. You will be able to allow apps to contribute events to your calendar automatically and be able to manage reminders easily. Likewise, a new visual voice mail feature in the phone app will also be introduced. This lets you integrate incoming messages, voice transcriptions, and audio files from one or more providers.
New Camera App and Video Enhancement Features
With most of the Android phones sporting advanced and powerful cameras, it is but fitting for Android 4.0 to improve on its camera app. You will be able to edit and quickly share photos and videos right after you’ve captured them. When taking pictures, Android 4.0 will allow you to have continuous focus, zero shutter lag exposure, and decreased shot-to-shot speed that helps in capturing clear and precise images. In short, Android 4.0 camera app is way better than it was before.
Image Gallery App Redesign and Photo Editing Features
Google has also revamped the Android’s Gallery app, making it easier to manage, show and share photos and videos. The album’s layout was redesigned with the ability to show more albums and display larger thumbnails. Sorting image albums becomes way better with various sorting options. Android 4.0 will also have a built-in photo editor which is quite powerful. And to let you easily browse through your images, you will also be able to add the Picture Gallery Widget on your device’s home screen. You can also apply Live Effects to your videos to make them more fun!
Default Screenshot Capture, Finally!
Something that most Android phone owners have been waiting for, as simple as it may be – having the capability to take screenshots of what’s on your phone’s screen and share it as well. And that’s done using the combination of power and volume button.
A Cloud Connected Experience, It’s Not iCloud Folks
Basically two major features that Android 4.0 is bringing in when it comes to cloud experience are a more powerful web browsing that will be almost similar to desktop browsing. And for those who are complaining about the lame default email feature of Android platform, well you can now rest easy as Google has greatly improved the email app. It will soon be easier to send, read, and manage emails with full auto-completion, creation of quick responses, and more.
NFC-Based Features and More
At this point you might be thinking that Android 4.0 has nothing innovative to offer? Well, you can stop thinking about that now. Two major features of Android 4.0 that can be considered as innovative are Android Beam and Screen Unlocking via Face Recognition.
Android Beam lets you share apps, contacts, music, videos and other contents by pairing your Android 4.0-powered device to another device, through Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology. Yes, this is one feature that got me so excited about Android Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?
The other innovative feature that we mentioned is the new screen lock option using face recognition. Yes, you read that right. Android 4.0 will let you unlock your device through face recognition, making it more secure than ever. The only down-side to this feature is if somebody who resembles you gets hold of your phone and is informed enough about this feature. But, I guess that will be a one-in-a-billion chance.
Final Words About Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich
What Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich is bringing in to the Android buffet table is a feature-rich dessert that is too good to resist. Seriously, if an Android smartphone running Android 4.0 is to be released tomorrow, I will be the first to queue up and grab it – no matter what the price is.
If you’re looking for a powerful mobile phone OS, this has got to be Android 4.0. Frankly, I’m really hoping that once the first Android 4.0 smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is out, Samsung will immediately issue an update to its Samsung Galaxy S line up to bring in Android 4.0. That will make us all Samsung Galaxy S II owners very, very happy.
So, who’s excited about the future of Android now?
See Also:
- How Google is Hurting Android by keeping it too “Open”
- The Best Travel Apps For Your Android Smartphone
- iOS 5 is Here – An Overview Of The New Features It Has to Offer
