Android 4.3 Leak Reveals Small, Innovative Improvements

It wasn’t too long ago that we got our first glimpse at Android 4.3, the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system on rooted Samsung Galaxy S4 phones. Now, with about a week to go before Google holds a press conference to presumably announce the latest iteration of its flagship OS, it seems that the folks at Android Central have gotten their hands on 4.3 and taken it for a bit of a test drive.

What they found isn’t too revolutionary, but there are some minor tweaks here and there that should make using the Android OS that much more enjoyable. Apparently the new OS update has fixed a previous problem with touch-sensitivity under Android 4.2, making dramatic improvements. The dialer has also been slightly improved, giving users suggestions culled from their contact lists, as well as the ability to put in pauses when dialing numbers.

Another setting has been added to improve the way apps use Wi-Fi. Typically, apps that want to utilize Wi-Fi connections interrupt what you’re doing with a pop-up screen asking you to switch Wi-Fi on. This has always been majorly annoying. The newest version of Android adds “Scanning always available,” allowing you to give your apps blanket permission to just connect to Wi-Fi for the sake of location services, and then switch off of Wi-Fi when it’s done. That could be a big help in cutting down on annoying pop-ups, while still keeping your apps’ functionality at their highest.

The camera app has also gotten a minor improvement in the form of an “arch” menu, which can be accessed in the middle of taking a shot. Again, this cuts down on interruptions from what you’re trying to do. When I use my phone’s camera, I usually have to access a drop-down menu in the corner. The arch menu looks like it’ll work easily and seamlessly with where I want to focus my shot while letting me still line things up. Much better.

My HTC Evo 4GLTE is currently running an older version of Android—still Jellybean, but 4.1.1—and I’m hoping that HTC decides to incorporate a lot of these innovations into its next Sense update. While my dialer already makes suggestions based on my contacts, the new camera menu looks great.

Of course, there may be other bells and whistles hidden within Android 4.3 that Android Central hasn’t yet uncovered. If Google does indeed unveil the new version of Jellybean that’s detailed here, hopefully we’ll hear about even more innovations that we’ve yet to discover.

Take a look at the video below for the full scoop on what Android Central found: