Jelly Bean vs. KitKat

Main Difference

Android is a software which runs on cell phones which use Google’s operating system. It has a different coding and applications which are only compatible with the mobile phones which are using the platform. Initially, there were two separate types of software which ran on tablets and phones, but now they have been combined together to work on one platform. Ever since the emergence of Android, there have been upgrades such as apple pie, cupcake, éclair, gingerbread and moving on to Jelly Bean and KitKat. The former one is the advanced version of the initial one, and there are few differences between them which can be considered as improvements on the previous version. Very basic changes that the user will be able to notice include changes in color. People are able to view different colors such as white in KitKat instead of the usual blue which used to dominate the interface in Jelly Bean. The user experience of KitKat is much better too, and people can easy switch between screens in the new version. In Jelly Bean, it is hard to view some applications on the full display, but that issue has been resolved in KitKat, and all the apps can be seen in the full mode. There is a marked difference between the designs of both platforms too, in KitKat the design feels simpler in comparison. Although the design also depends on the cell phone being used, few differences in that regard depend on the different cell phone providers. Another change between the two software is the clock style. Jelly Bean watch size was much different while KitKat the clock font is thinner. There are also differences in the performance and once the upgrade is made from Jelly Bean the phone gives a brighter look and a new feel. One important change that has been brought is that people will be able to use cell phones with 512 MB RAM, which was not possible in the previous version because of the limit of 1GB RAM. The applications start faster in KitKat as compared to Jelly Bean, and the speed increases almost 25%. Overall there are significant changes between the two and further explanation on these two software upgrades is given below.

Difference Between Jelly Bean and KitKat

Comparison Chart

Definition of Jelly Bean

The first version of Jelly Bean was released in 2012 while different advancements in the interface kept on coming with time. It was first run on the Nexus 7 and was an improvement on the previous version Ice Cream Sandwich. There were additional languages added in which also supported the bi-directional text. The user interface was improved to suit the modern cell phone demands with the increase in the size of the phone causing issues in the previous version. Different new features such as voice and instant search were introduced for the first time in this release. Various new additions were made in the camera and the speed of overall system improved considerably. Another important enhancement of this version was that people were able to view the total time remaining while downloading and also downloads which were pending. Several modifications were made in the Bluetooth such as remote control, low energy support, and multi-user for tablets. Different errors were shown at various times during this version to various upgrades had to be introduced.

Definition of KitKat

KitKat was the new generation of Android operating system and was launched on Nexus 5 in September 2013. The main change in this version was that people were able to use cell phones with lower RAMs and advanced features. There were shifts in the interface which were made lighter and simpler, different color changes were also added, and it was easier for people to navigate from one application to the other. A feature of printing documents with the help of cell phone and connecting it to the printing device was also introduced. It also accommodated different applications which were not able to run in a full mode in the previous version. Several bug fixes were done, and the speed of opening multiple apps increased to about 20%. The version did not last for long as a new one was introduced with the name of Lollipop at the end of next year.

Conclusion

Android phone’s new versions are the two main competitors in the software providing market and have been trying their best to take the lead over each other. This article explains the differences between the two main competitors and latest versions of Android Jelly Bean and KitKat which should be helpful for people.