Android 4.3: An even sweeter Jelly Bean.

ANDROID 4.3

Android 4.3’s new restricted profiles feature can be used to limit access to apps and content, at home with your family and at work. And with support for Bluetooth Smart accessories, Android is ready for a whole new class of mobile apps.

1. Restricted Profiles

Android 4.2 introduced the concept of multi-user support for tablets. Building on top of it, Android 4.3 lets you manage per-user access to apps and content. Users can now prevent other family members from accessing mature content and it is ideal for parental controls. This feature opens a number of doors to developers, that help them create in-app restrictions.

2. Bluetooth Smart – BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)

Certain Android devices, including Nexus 4, now support low-energy Bluetooth Smart accessories. You’ll find Bluetooth Smart technology in fitness sensors, heart rate or glucose monitors, pedometers, thermometers, and much more.

We live in a day where technology enhances our lives in different ways. Fitness sensors and other devices have made their ways into mobile computing, providing users with a whole new range of information. Android 4.3 seeks to capitalize on this class of mobile applications with BLE support for devices. Bluetooth Smart or BLE minimizes power consumption of mobile devices while measuring and transmitting data, making both sensors and devices connected to them more battery-efficient.

Devices with hardware support for Bluetooth Smart can now make use of Android 4.3 to connect to bluetooth sensor devices. During Google’s presentation, an Android device was shown being connected with a Bluetooth Smart-enabled heart-rate monitor, powered by the popular Runtastic Fitness App.

3. Built-in-security protection

Android is designed to keep you and your data safe. Every app runs in its own sandbox, a secure space isolated from other apps. And whenever you download an app, Android can automatically scan it for viruses, checking apps against a database maintained by Google. Thanks to Android’s multiple layers of security, you can browse the web and install apps from Google Play with peace of mind.

4. OpenGL ES 3.0

Developers and gamers can lick their lips now. Android OS promises to offer OpenGL ES 3.0 – a standard in modern day accelerated 3D graphics. Android has long been criticised for lags and stutter while playing high quality 3D games. OpenGL ES 3.0 makes the new version of Android more efficient and better at displaying graphics. Google showcased some impressive textures, lens flares and reflections in their demo, most of which the older OS had trouble displaying. The average users may not be able to distinguish the upgraded graphics, but it does offer new possibilities for developers.

5. Notification Access

Android came up with a pretty useful notification bar. As it iterated through various versions, the notification system started offering more and more to its users. Now with Android 4.3, third party apps can access status bar notifications in real-time. What good does it do? Well, it points to wearable computing devices like a smart watch or Google Glass.

In addition, it simplifies the process of sharing information across multiple Android devices.

5. Background WiFi Scanning

Increased use of smartphones resulted in extensive use of location-based applications. But extensive use of services like the GPS causes a lot of battery drain. Android 4.3 sorts it out, using a special WiFi feature. Reports say that Android 4.3 will be able to detect your location through WiFi, even when WiFi is turned off.

The WiFi scan-only mode lets Google’s location-based service and other apps scan for WiFi networks even when it is off. This would improve the performance of apps and you will not have to worry about battery life. You can also enjoy an enhanced Google Now experience.