Android 4.3 Jelly Bean’s 10 Best New Features for Mobile Users

By Don Reisinger

Google unveiled new profile controls in Android 4.3 that are designed to give parents and IT decision-makers the power to determine what a certain user can and cannot do on a particular device. The controls allow for management of everything from apps to Web browsing.

Android tablet users will be happy to find that the new operating system will now allow for full multiple-user control. What that means is multiple people can set up their own accounts on the device and log into their own profiles. From there, they’ll see only the apps that they’ve actually downloaded.

Google claims Android 4.3 comes with several enhancements to the way security is handled in the operating system. One of the biggest improvements is its handling of sandboxing and forcing all apps to work within a sandbox. Whether it’ll help security, however, remains to be seen.

Any television that supports the Miracast technology will be capable of receiving wireless television transmissions from Android 4.3. That means if a user is watching a television show or movie on a mobile device, she can instantly get it up and running on her HDTV and continue watching it there. Nice.

Android 4.3 comes with a new Daydream feature that’s designed to make the tablet a companion in a given room when it’s turned off. One of its implementations is the ability to be used as a photo frame, showing off different photos on the screen. It’s a neat feature that might appeal to some users.

In Android 4.3, Google has added the ability to stream both video and photos wirelessly between devices. The feature is essentially Android’s answer to Apple’s AirDrop, and like the iPhone maker’s offering, it works quite well.

Google’s Android 4.3 also features the ability to handle widgets more capably than in previous versions. When a person adds a widget, the items on the screen around it automatically move around it. The widgets can be placed just about anywhere, allowing for easy access to important information.

Android 4.3 delivers what Google is calling a “gesture keyboard.” The feature is essentially the same technology that was created by Swype, allowing people to slide their fingers around the virtual keyboard and, based on where they go, to have that information show up on-screen. It has been known to work well, but whether it’ll provide the same value in Android 4.3 remains to be seen.

One of the nicest additions to Android 4.3 is an improved camera feature that provides a wider view through the lens and the ability to quickly and easily pan around and snap photos. Overall, the feature appears to be far more user-friendly.

Since Android was the first platform to deliver a notification center, it would only make sense that the operating system would be the first to provide extra functionality in that menu. In Android 4.3, users will be able to choose different options based on the notification type. So, if there’s a missed call, a person can opt to call back from within notifications or make a note to do it at a later time. It’s a nice feature.