Android Jelly Bean 4.2 found yet another new home on Thursday: a cozy non-Nexus device with ASUS branding. Yes, you guessed it. The Transformer Pad TF300 is the first non-Nexus tablet to get Jelly Bean 4.2, although it's unclear whether it is 4.2.1 or the more recently released 4.2.2.
It's unsurprising an ASUS device is first in line for the Jelly Bean update. The company enjoys a close relationship with Google, and even assembles its Nexus 7 phablet.
Android 4.2 isn't radically different from Android 4.1, but there are several new features Transformer Pad users might find useful, including Daydream, Photosphere and a new virtual keyboard. The Multiple Accounts function is particularly handy on the 10-inch tablet. There are also upgrades to ASUS's App Locker, Lock Screen and Setup Wizard apps.
Either way, the new version is bound to be an improvement over the glitch-laden iteration that preceded it. Many ASUS users exploded in a fit of rage when the company pushed 4.1, claiming, among other things, that the update "destroyed" the browser, ruined graphics performance and crippled a number of vital apps, like first-person zombie-based shooter Dead Trigger.
The 4.2 update will be available over-the-air and goes live in the U.S. before hitting other markets.
ASUS Transformer Pad TF300 sports a quad-core Tegra 3 processor that's clocks in at 1.2 GHz. It has up to 32GB of internal memory and an expandable microSD slot. The device has a 10.1-inch IPS LCD display and a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. There's an 8-megapixel camera that supports HD Video.
Don't despair if you're an early adopter of ASUS' newer devices. The company has you covered too. The ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity, ASUS MeMO Pad Smart 10-inch and ASUS MeMO Pad are all slated to receive Android 4.2 sometime in Q2.
