Why You Should Be Excited for the Ice Cream Sandwich Android Update
Android users have plenty to be excited about when it comes to the new Ice Cream Sandwich update. This update serves to bridge the gap between Gingerbread and Honeycomb users so that there is a unified version available for both smartphones and tablets. Updating to the new Ice Cream Sandwich version is as simple as searching for car insurance online, but if you haven’t kept up with information concerning the new update, here are the top features we’re looking forward to:1. Face Unlock
Face unlock is by far the coolest thing to be revealed by Google for the new ICS update. Instead of using a pattern or an unlock code that many Android users are familiar with, ICS has facial recognition technology that simply lets you use the front facing camera on your phone to unlock your device.
Many people worry that a photograph of a person could be used to unlock the phone, but Google has stated that 3D facial recognition technology prohibits this.
2. New Contacts Layout
The old layout used in Gingerbread and Honeycomb left a lot to be desired, as contacts would often duplicate and have information strewn about in a haphazard manner. The new ICS update fixes this by mimicking the panels that are featured from Windows Phone 7.
You will be able to pull in all contact information from all of your social networks, including Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. From there, you can organize your information into panels that are much easier on the eye.
3. New Browser Experience
While the browser featured in ICS isn’t exactly a mobile version of Chrome, it does feature some nifty improvements that users of Google’s desktop browser will be very familiar with.
Incognito mode is available to keep certain websites out of your browsing history and bookmarks are now synced between Chrome and your phone without the need for an external extension or app to get the job done.
Additionally, users can switch between the mobile browser and the full site version easily, which is handy when searching auto insurance companies‘ websites that don’t load properly in a mobile setting.
4. Data Management
Most smartphone users are on some kind of tiered data plan, which can be difficult to monitor without some sort of third-party app that tracks your usage. Google understands the need to monitor data in order to avoid overages, which is why the ICS update features built-in data management.
You can quickly see how much data you’re using and how you’re using it, which apps are data hoggers and whether or not you’ll reach your cap before the end of the billing cycle. You can even set the phone to automatically disconnect from 3G/4G service so as not to go over your limits.
5. Interface Improvements
The new interface used in ICS is a hybrid of what has been available in Gingerbread and Honeycomb. Hardware buttons are no longer needed in the new update, which is why the flagship phone for ICS, the Galaxy Nexus only has a single button instead of the standard four that come with other Android releases.
With the new interface, you can quickly determine which apps you have open and flick them to close them. This ease of use makes ICS one of the easier to use Android builds available.
6. Speech Recognition
While ICS does not include a full program akin to the iPhone’s Siri, it does have improved speech recognition technology that will make it easier to compose texts, emails, and add contact information hands-free. For users who love to dictate their words to their phone, ICS should be a welcome improvement over the speech recognition technology available in current Android releases.
7. Screenshot Functionality
Taking screenshots on Android has always been a difficult process unless you own a Samsung phone. Samsung was the only handset manufacturer to support screenshot technology natively.
For other Android users, the only option was to root. Google has seen the need for the ability to take screenshots and has added the feature into ICS natively by simply pressing the power and volume-down keys simultaneously.
8. Near-Field Communications Technology
While NFC technology is not new to ICS since it was available on the Nexus S, the technology will be furthered by the native support available in all ICS handsets going forward.
The Google Wallet service provides a new way to pay for items by loading money into your Wallet account which can then be used by touching the phone to many kiosks around the globe which support NFC technology. This will be a new way to pay for purchases instead of lugging numerous cards around.
With all of these fantastic features, it is no wonder that so many people are lining up to get their hands on this Android upgrade! It will be interesting to see what Apple has in mind to counter their competitor’s latest developments.
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