Google’s (GOOG) Android platform has made great strides since it launched four years ago. It has grown to become the most widely used smartphone OS in the world by a staggering margin, and the look and feel of the platform have shifted dramatically in recent years. While Android 2.3 Gingerbread is still the most popular version of Android by a landslide, the most recent build — Android 4.1 Jelly Bean — is heralded as the most refined version of Google’s mobile OS to date. Even still, however, Android isn’t yet where Google wants it to be.
“It’s true, we still have a lot of work to do,” Google’s Senior Director of Android User Experience wrote on his Google+ page in response to a critical comment. “Personally I feel like I’ve gotten only about a third of the way to where I want to be with regards to consistency, responsiveness, and polish. Better get back to work!”
Android 4.1 was first unveiled in June, and it brought with it a number of great enhancements including enhanced voice recognition and search capabilities, Google Now and a number of tweaks aimed at making Android more fluid and responsive. While the newest version of Android has been well received by users, it is currently only found on 1.2% of Android devices worldwide.
