Top 5 Reasons Why Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Is Simply Better

Google had launched the latest version of its Android OS- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich not too long ago and is expected to unveil the next iteration of the popular smartphone platform next month- Android 5.0 Jelly Bean. ICS comes with many great features like FaceUnlock, better app management and support for a brilliant new browser- Chrome for Android. If you’re thinking of switching to a phone running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, here’s 5 reasons why that is a good idea-

Notifications

Although the basic notification system has not been changed much, notification management options have definitely changed for the better. In Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, you can see a list of your notifications and just swipe away those that you wish to ignore, or are simply unimportant. Its pretty neat and feels much better than clicking the little X in earlier Android versions.

Task Management

The Android operating system has consistently been appreciated for its powerful multitasking capabilities. However, one of its biggest drawbacks is that you could not view which apps are open at any moment. Moreover, you could not close these apps unless you dig through the Settings menu. However, all this has changed with ICS. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich devices come with only three navigation button-: Back, Home, and Applications. On pressing the Applications button, you will see a list containing all the apps that are running on your device. You can close any app using just a swipe of your finger. Closing idle apps will really help you save a lot of battery life. Also, if an app is not functioning properly, you can easily close it and reopen it, which may solve the problem.

Camera app

The camera app has been vastly upgraded from Android 2.3 Gingerbread to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Despite having the same hardware, the software settings have changed so much that it’s like a totally new camera. The camera app lets you take photos instantaneously, with zero shutter lag irrespective of how slow your earlier camera worked. You can just constantly press the shutter button till you get the perfect shot

Unified Applications

With Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Google aimed to make an interface, in which apps will run just as well on tablets as they do on phones. Although currently only a few apps are fully ICS compatible, their look and feel are great. Google has also followed Apple and issued a sort of style guide for ICS apps so that future apps will have a common look and feel.

Chrome Browser

A perfect example of the above mentioned unified applications is the Chrome Browser. Now, Google’s Chrome browser is still in beta mode and does not even come pre-installed on any device- it can be installed only on devices running on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Although the stock browser is pretty decent, Chrome hits it out of the ball park in terms of performance and looks. It easily manages to handle multiple tabs smoothly. You can also see your open tabs in the form of cover flow, and can swipe off the tabs that you want to close.

Overall, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is the best Android version out there and we can only hope that the upcoming Android 5.0 Jelly Bean is even better, if that is even possible!