Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Problems: Nexus Owners Face Slowed Performance Speed, Freezing, Bluetooth Incompatibility And More

Anticipation for Android 4.3 Jelly Bean has turned into frustration as users report a myriad of issues with the latest operating system update.

When Android 4.3 began rolling out onto Nexus brand devices on July 24, many users first lamented that they had yet to receive the update one week in. However, as the new system began to hit more devices over-the-air, users soon had a new host of complaints, including issues with performance speed, freezing and Bluetooth incompatibility, among many others.

Netflix freezes/Abruptly Shuts down

While Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is considered a minor update, it did introduce some interesting features such as Netflix, now being standard on Android operating systems. However, users have found that launching the Netflix app ultimately freezes their devices, leaving them functional only after a hard reset. Google and Netflix have addressed the issue and state that they are working on a fix; however, a time frame for said fix is uncertain.

Freeze at Splash Page/Random Shut Down And Never Ending Reboot Loop

In addition to Netflix causing Android 4.3 powered devices to freeze, many users report other random freezes, especially at the "X" splash page screen. Users again have had to go as far as factory reseting their device or flashing it to an older version of Android in order to get it working again. Some users also report their devices shut down and restart by themselves in a fairly regular pattern of between several hours to several minutes.

Issues with Gallery App/Camera

Android 4.3 has brought a host of issues to the image gallery on many devices. The most common complaint from users is that the auto-rotate mode no longer works, which also leaves photos unable to switch from portrait to landscape. Some users also report that using certain features such as photo sphere causes the camera app to close abruptly.

Sluggish performance/Faulty Sensors

Users have reported that the performance speed on their devices has greatly diminished with the Android 4.3 update, especially when playing games. Some have noted slower frame rates on even simple games such as Candy Crush. Users have also had issues with sensors on their devices, which in turn affect their devices’ performance, including gameplay. Some report that the Accelerometer on their Android 4.3 powered device is not working, making it impossible to play games such as Temple Run. Other sensors reported as faulty are: Linear Acceleration, Gyroscope and Gravity.

Incompatibility with Bluetooth keyboards

One of the main issues users are having with the Android 4.3 update is it has caused an incompatibility between Nexus devices and some Bluetooth powered keyboards. Android 4.3 notably introduced Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth 4.0 to Nexus devices; however, owners of several Bluetooth powered keyboards report that their accessories simply do not work when paired with a device running Android 4.3. Gotta Be Mobile confirmed the problem with a ZAGG ZaggKeys flex Bluetooth keyboard, while others have noted the same issue with other Bluetooth keyboard brands such as Spider and Kensington. So far, there has been no word from Google on how this issue will be resolved.

Apps Won’t Download From Google Play Store

Some users have reported issues with getting server errors when attempting to download apps from the Google Play Store. Some have noted that the this issue it not necessarily an Android 4.3 problem, but rather an issue with the apps that have not been updated to be compatible with Android 4.3. Some XDA forums users have suggested deleting and recreating your Google account in order to get the Google Play Store working properly.

Happy Customers

While some Android 4.3 Jelly Bean users report one or many of these issues, others report having no trouble with the operating system update at all. Some improvements that satisfied users have reported included their devices not heating up as much and also better performance speeds. Some wonder whether those having issues forced their devices to update to Android 4.3 rather than allowing the update to prompt normally. However, most users with complaints, especially those on various tech forums, claim to have allowed the Android 4.3 OTA update roll on to their device on its own.

Have you had any issues with the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update on your Nexus device? Let us know in the comments below.

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