Is another iteration of Android needed so soon?

[JayJ]

We all love updates and feeling of a new version of our much loved OS of choice but is a new version or iteration of Android needed so quickly?
We've only had Jelly Bean for a few months before Google are announcing another update, Android 4.2 will be upon us soon but bugs in Jelly Bean haven't been dealt with.
Gingerbread had six or seven minor updates/bug fixes, Ice Cream Sandwich had four minor but Jelly Bean has only had the one so far. Is this because Google are too busy rushing out the next version of Android to release the next Nexus model? Will 4.2 have bugs, will 4.2 fix the bugs in 4.1 and will the new features be for the best?

What do you think?

[Babyfacemagee]

Well I think the idea is that 4.2 will fix many of the bugs in 4.1  I really wouldn't call 4.2 another 'iteration'.  It's more just a refinement.  5.0 will be a big step forward...this is just minor tweaking.

[JayJ]

Oh I'm not expecting any major changes, no more than the mainly cosmetic changes and minor UI changes of ICS to JB despite the major changes that occurred back in Android 2 from Froyo to Gingerbread which were pretty big.
Maybe 'interation' isn't the right term but my question is mainly concerning the timeframe of these updates and how quick Google are pushing them out. If we see 4.2 by Octobers end or even November, Jelly Bean won't have even been two months old before being obsolete. Okay so not obsolete to all but obsolete to Nexus devices and those of us running custom ROM's on other devices.

EDIT- The three digits of Android number sequence are a rough guide to the changes in the OS, so if the final digit is a bug fix reference, the second is for minor tweaks like minor UI changes and cosmetic changes and the first major OS overhauls shouldn't bug fixes be dealt with before the minor tweaks to the OS?

[gp123]

Will this update come to my N7 automatically (as with Apps) or is there something that I need to do to install it?

[S.Prime]

4.2 will be an OTA (Over The Air) and will be pushed to your Nexus 7. You will probably have a notice of a new update or you can go to settings and check for available updates.

[S.Prime]

As for my feelings on the timeliness of 4.2, I personally appreciate that Google is aggressively patching and improving JB and that we are not burdened with waiting on carrier approval, which I have seen in other tablets. Hopefully as we see JB evolve, we will see some of the annoyances in the UI fixed, like file transfer with MTP.

[matt]

Just received jb 4.1.2 ota update yesterday. Rotation of home screen is now native and not reliant on 3rd party app, so maybe we'll start seeing pogo docks rolling out.

Question: Where are the change logs posted for the different updates? Or is it some kind of secret?
Secret open source is an oxymoron. Or I'm the moron, whatever. Peas out.

[JayJ]

Android Police have a changelog, Google don't make it easy do they...

Android Police

[limbot]

To me as long as upgrades contain improvements, then I've got no issue. Improvements can be performance, functionality or whatever.  If they're going to release an upgrade with say just new icons, or a crappier version of maps then they can keep it.

Obviously the nice thing about Android versus a more fruity option is that you can select whether you want the upgrade or not, or accept the upgrade and ( if rooted) always back out easily to a previous edition.

In addition the fact that the developer community can improve over Google's improvements is the other reason I'll never buy a product by the other major alternative

Of course for those of us who are serial rooters and rommers then all they're doing is making more work for us. For example yesterday I went to stock, loaded 4.1.2 update, then went back to Paranoid Android 2.17, then upgraded 2.17 to 2.2 without a full wipe, then did a full wipe an loaded 2.2 Sheesh...you'd think I had something better to do with my time

[loociddreemr]

Maybe they are realizing that there are changes to be made to make the OS the way we want it, such as the rotation.  I'm hoping that the bootloader/recover bug will be fixed with the update.  With the number change it seems like me might get a new bootloader.  As a crackflasher, I really don't mind the consecutive updates. We really shouldn't have to switch to a custom ROM just to get a few bugs out or UI changes.