Android 4.1 source code released

Developers can now move forward with their Android™ 4.1 applications, as Google has revealed the source code for the latest version of its mobile operating system.

Dubbed Jelly Bean, Android 4.1 was officially unveiled at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco in June. Among other accolades, Jelly Bean has been touted as the "fastest and smoothest version of Android yet." Designed for both smartphones and tablet computers, Jelly Bean introduces several upgrades, such as easier photo sharing, a smarter keyboard and improved personalization for widgets and other functions.

Now, it's time for developers to try out the mobile OS for themselves. In a Google Groups post, Android Open Source Project technical lead Jean-Baptiste Queru says developers are advised to create new clients, which will be smaller and faster with Android 4.1.

He also notes that proprietary binaries for Google's new tablet, the Nexus™ 7, and the family of Nexus smartphones are also available.

Jelly Bean is expected to become widely available in the coming months.