What is it?
Android 4.0, or Ice Cream Sandwich as it is officially titled is the name of Google’s mobile operating system which was released on September 11, 2011 at the official launch of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Google’s flagship Nexus device. The operating system underwent a lot of changes and the whole design was revamped in order to make the operating system much better, more unique and in order to provide a better user experience. Google itself said that the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was the most extensive overhaul of its mobile operating system, since the project Android began around three and a half years ago. So, how does the Ice Cream Sandwich update hold up against the previous versions? Let’s find out.
How it works
As it was released first on the Galaxy Nexus (which comes devoid of any physical buttons), users will notice that the four buttons located at the bottom of the screen have now been replaced by three buttons. One of them is the Back key, the other opens up the Menu and the third key takes you to the Recent Apps that you were using. Almost everything in the operating system has been overhauled and put through extensive changes, ranging from the animations when changing menu pages to the way calls are dialed. The interface is the first biggest change that you will notice. Even though it makes use of the same principles as the older versions of Android OS, the way it is integrated is now completely new.
The main difference is that the OS is designed to function without any buttons, instead of providing touch buttons of its own. However, phones that have updates will obviously work. The latest thing about the device is that whenever you need to shut off an application, just swipe your finger sideways and the application will be closed. Now, the home and back keys do not have the ‘long press’ function, so calling up the keyboard is different.
Also, when you begin watching a movie, these buttons at the bottom will shrink to tiny dots, maximizing your screen real estate in order to provide a better viewing experience. The keyboard has also been extensively improved, now offering better prediction and integration of new words. Also, another notable change comes in the camera, which has been greatly enhanced to provide beautiful pictures and amazing full HD video recording.
