5 things you need to know about Android Jelly Bean

At its I/O developers’ conference in San Francisco, Google launched the latest iteration of Android, called Jelly Bean. Mmmm Jellybean. Here’s the lowdown on the delicious-sounding mobile OS.

1. It’s buttery-smooth

Jellybean comes standard with a feature called “Butter”, which Google says “makes everything smoother, faster and more fluid”.

2. It knows its shit

On Jelly Bean, Google can speak back to you. The internet giant claims it can deliver you a precise answer, powered by the Knowledge Graph, if it knows one, in addition to a list of search results. Your move Apple

3. There are elements of SwiftKey

Google claims that the new keyboard is smarter and more accurate, and can predict your next word. Oddly enough those are precisely the things that made SwiftKey such a successful app.

4. The Nexus 7 is the first to get it

Sorry but if you think you’re going to be able to upgrade to Jelly Bean as soon as it’s released to the public, think again. If you want first dibs at it, you’re going to have to get your hands on a Nexus 7 tablet.

5. Google Now

Now incorporates elements of Knowledge Graph, but also acts as a personal assistant. And by the looks of things it does a lot more actual assisting than Siri. According to Google:

Now is a new feature that gets you just the right information at just the right time. It tells you today’s weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, or your favorite team’s score as they’re playing. There’s no digging required: cards appear at the moment you need them most.

Over-the-air updates to Galaxy Nexus, Motorola Xoom and Nexus S are scheduled to start in mid July.