Google officially unveiled Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich alongside the Galaxy Nexus. Designed around three principles from Android design lead Matias Duarte — enchant, simplify, and empower — ICS brought the biggest visual and functional overhaul since Android 2.0 Eclair in 2009.
Key features in Android 4.0:
- Native resolution of 1280×720 (16:9)
- New “Roboto” system font throughout the OS
- Virtual navigation buttons that hide when not needed
- Side-swiping navigation across the platform, replacing scrolling app menus
- Folder creation by dragging icons onto each other
- Customizable app launcher
- Quick app switching with thumbnail previews; swipe away to remove from recents
- Built-in screenshot capture
- Improved notifications with music controls in the notification shade
- Swipe to dismiss individual notifications
- New keyboard with inline spell checker
- Improved cut, copy, and paste throughout the OS
- Instant talk-to-text
- Face Unlock
- Redesigned Google apps including Gmail, Calendar, and Browser
- New browser syncing with Chrome on desktop
- Pinch-to-zoom in Calendar
- Data usage monitoring and management
- Redesigned camera with panorama mode, zero shutter lag, easier sharing, and photo capture during video recording
- Photo editing capabilities
- People app aggregating contacts across linked services
- Full-screen caller ID with ability to reject calls with a quick text response
- New phone app with built-in visual voicemail
- Android Beam: NFC tap-to-share between devices
The Android 4.0 SDK was made available to developers immediately.
