How To Get Android Jelly Bean Features On Amazon Kindle Fire; Android 4.1 Tablet By HTC Could Be In The Works

By Lisa Eadicicco | July 11 2012 7:38 PM

Google has recently unveiled the mobile operating system upgrade known as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The company is pushing the new update for Samsung's line of Galaxy Nexus devices, but it seems Samsung won't be the only manufacturer featuring the sweet-themed software.

Google

While Android users are still fixated on Android 4.0 Jelly Bean, Google may be preparing to launch its next mobile operating system in just a few short months.

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PC Advisor has exclusively learned that HTC will be launching a follow-up tablet to the Flyer in the UK that is likely to run on Jelly Bean. A spokesperson for the Taiwanese company told the website that a tablet will definitely arrive, but no release date has been set. This will be the first tablet from HTC to debut in the UK since last May.

HTC has said it will wait until it had something unique to offer before revealing the tablet, PC Advisor reports. The spokesperson also said the firm wants to ensure that its tablet has a unique selling point.

XDA-Developers haven't wasted any time coming up with a leaked version of the software. For Kindle Fire owners who aren't fond of Amazon's version of Android, a custom ROM of the Jelly Bean upgrade has just been created. This ROM is still in its beta stage, but Wi-Fi is functional and the upgrade is still usable despite the inevitable bugs. Some features that are not working in this version include the HD codecs and the USB Mass Storage.

The beta is available for download now at the XDA-Developers forum, but be sure to back up all data and read through the instructions before attempting to install it.

Google recently released its Jelly Bean software to AOSP, which means that developers can begin hacking and tweaking with the upgrade. The Amazon Kindle Fire ROM is one of the many that is sure to surface over the next week or so.

One of the newest features found in Jelly Bean is the custom user interface, which changes to adjust to the form factor of each device it runs on. This means that users will experience a different design for smartphones, tablets, mini-tablets and other mobile devices. The Nexus 7 tablet is the first to receive the portrait style interface, where notifications are found in a pull down bar at the top of the device's screen.

Google mentioned that the update will roll out on Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S devices, but there was no word on when the Galaxy S2 will be seeing Jelly Bean. Other than the adjustable user interface, Jelly Bean includes Project Butter capabilities, Google Chrome as its default browser, Google Now, widgets that can be re-sized and organized manually, an improved camera app and Android Beam.