Transformer Pad users rejoice - Asus has announced that the tablet will be receiving an update to Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2.
The company has always been quick to roll out over-the-air OS upgrades for its hardware, and the Transformer Pad is no different. It will be the first non-Nexus device to receive Android 4.2.2.
When the tablet was released last year, it shipped with Ice Cream Sandwich and Asus promptly pushed the Android 4.1 update in August.
The 4.2.2 update is a major one, adding several new functionalities to the device. Users will be able to create multiple accounts and set actionable notifications. Asus has also said it will be updating several of its applications, including App Locker, virtual keyboard, lock screen and setup wizard.
Jelly Bean 4.2.2 also promises general security and stability improvements, as well as a fix for the long-maligned SD card slot.
Rumors seem to indicate that Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie is next on the horizon. A leaked Qualcomm roadmap in February indicated it would be landing sometime in Q2, probably around May. The leak gained additional credence when Google demanded it be yanked from the interwebs.
Little is known about the new Android flavor, but it's widely suspected that it will be based on the Linux 3.8 kernel. If that turns out to be the case, then Key Lime Pie will likely include an open-source Nvidia Tegra driver and improved RAM allocation abilities, among other improvements.
The Asus Transformer Pad is the company's midrange tablet. It has a 10.1-inch display, Tegra 3 processor, a 1280x800 resolution screen, 1 GB RAM, 16 or 32GB internal storage, as well as an 8 MP camera.
Asus also offers a keyboard dock for the device, which augments battery life while emulating the user-experience of a laptop. The tablet retails at around $340.
