Android 4.3 release date, news and features

We're all waiting for the next big iteration of Android to hit us and while we already know it's going to be dubbed Key Lime Pie, it turns out Google isn't quite finished with Jelly Bean as Android 4.3 the next update on the horizon.

Google has finally announced the changes this new operating system will bring, so stay tuned to see all the information on the launch of Android 4.3 and the new Nexus 7, as well as any other fancy news.

Here's a round-up of the new features of Android 4.3:

Multi-user ability was added to 4.2, but with the new version you can now customise things on a user level, allowing parental controls and a lock on apps if needed through 'personal spaces'.

Apps have to be optimised to work in this way, but parental control will be much more stringent with the new version of Jelly Bean.

Bluetooth smart technology (Bluetooth low energy as it's also known) is now supported, allowing apps to connect to the low-power sensors that are all the rage in fitness technology these days.

Open GL ES 3.0 is supported in Android 4.3, which means a massive update in the graphic ability in any device using the platform. This means detail and speed in games is now massively enhanced, and will see a greater level of photorealism and effects.

DRM APIs will also make it easier for media companies to show off their content to users - for instance, Android 4.3 will allow 1080p streaming of Netflix content on the go, with more apps to follow.

Other features include background Wi-FI locations (meaning the connectivity can be used for location even when turned off) and a new and updated keyboard - stay tuned for more updates on that.

Android 4.3 release date

Android 4.3 is available from today if you're the proud owner of a Nexus 7, and it will also be coming 'soon' on the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 Google versions.

Many believed that Android 4.3 Jelly Bean would make an appearance at the search giant's annual IO conference which took place in May, but sadly no such announcement was made.

Apparently Android 4.3 was at the Google IO show however, with one reporter claiming he was able to get hands on with the software on a white Nexus 4 - although his prediction that 4.3 Jelly Bean would arrive on June 10 has turned out to be false.

Android 4.3 devices

Google is going to treat its own-brand devices to the Android 4.3 update first, with the likes of the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Galaxy Nexus all in line for the new software early doors, as well as the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Editions 'soon'.

HTC has told TechRadar "We're reviewing Android 4.3 to see how this update fits into our plans. We hope to have more info for you soon."

This should be sooner rather than later as we've already spotted versions of the phone running Android 4.3 in the wild - and word is Samsung's Galaxy S3 and Note 2 will be going straight to the newer version of the Google platform.

Android 4.3 upgrades and features

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean - LEAK

As we've mentioned the Android 4.3 update isn't a totally new operating system - instead you can expect some minor tweaks here and there.

One area which looks to be getting some serious attention from Google is the camera app, with snaps taken at Mobile Expo in Taiwan claiming to show the new design for Android 4.3.

We're currently checking to see whether this is actually in the new version of Android, but chances are it will be given Google loves to update the camera with each update to the OS.

While icons such as the shutter key and settings appear to be the same, the circular menu has been ditched in favour of an arc towards the bottom of the screen.

Another shot of the camera app was spied alongside a couple of other screenshots claiming to be from the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean software.

Mozilla pegs worldwide Firefox share at 30%

Mozilla estimates that Firefox now handles almost 30 per cent of worldwide web access.

On Wednesday, the open source outfit released its first ever quarterly analyst report (pdf), a collection of web-happy stats dubbed The State of the Internet. Crunching data from four separate online research houses - StatCounter, Quantcast, Net Applications, and Gemius - Mozilla says that its influence is the strongest in Europe, where it spans 39.2 per cent of the browser market.

Next comes South America at 31.1 per cent and then Africa at 29.7 per cent, with North America bringing up the rear at 26 per cent. Mozilla does not provide official numbers on Antarctica, but StatCounter says that on the bottom of the earth, Firefox has an 80 per cent share. Which only makes sense. Open source keeps you warm.

According to Mozilla, Firefox usage is growing most rapidly in Russia, where uptake spiked 20 per cent this quarter. Mozilla guesses this has something to do with chairperson Mitchell Baker's visit to the country in February. Now if we could only get her to visit all those companies still running IE6.

Russia, incidentally, is one place where Google is not the browser's default search engine. All those clicks are going to the native Yandex.

Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Australia, Mexico, and Turkey also showed Firefoxian growth in access of 15 per cent during the quarter. And according to the report, Asians are the most likely to beef up their browsers with add-ons - unless you consider that small sample size in Antarctica. Since January, Mozilla has seen 538 Antarctic add-on downloads from the continent's 1,000 inhabitants.

A recent Mozilla Labs study indicates that the average Firefox user has two to three tabs open at a time. But one unnamed participant went so far as to open 600. Presumably, none of the 600 were running Flash.