[Galaxy Note II General] BarryH_GEG:
The most lucid post I've seen in a while. 4.1>4.2>4.3 hasn't been that major. There's lots of talk on paper about performance improvements but I've yet to see any forum agree that they are present. A lot of it is placebo from fans who think that Google's the second coming of Christ and that anything they push out is manna from the heavens. 4.2 was broken. The only reason it worked as well as it did on OEM devices is they replaced the BT s/w with their own and compensated for the issues. 4.2>4.3 is pretty minor with the biggest get being working BT which AOSP users have been waiting almost a year for.

This post below is from another discussion but applies here. Everyone wants the latest update and I'd bet 80+% don't even know why they want it. If 4.1 was broken I could understand the anxiety people are displaying but it's not. Most of the stuff I want in the N2 update (be it 4.2 or 4.3) is from Samsung not Google and includes the features from the SGS4 that can be ported based on the h/w being compatible. Google and Samsung have begun separating app functionality from the OS/UI layer with both approaching updates as an ongoing process rather than a singular event. My N2 has received via Samsung Apps the following SGS4 updates: Samsung Link (AllShare Play), S Voice, Samsung Hub (which updates Reader’s Hub, Music Hub, Video Hub, and Game Hub), and Samsung Wallet. Google’s updated a ton of their apps independent of the OS/UI too.

Anyone here who buys a phone with an overlay and then *****es about updates is an idiot. All the manufacturers are just as bad and if you buy your phone from a carrier with their modifications that's pretty much the kiss of death for updates. Want fast(er) updates? Buy a Nexus.

There's not really a lot to discuss because the differences from 4.1>4.2>4.3 really aren't that earth shattering. Especially when you factor in Samsung's s/w modifications. Of the three, 4.1 is considered the most stable with 4.2 having a bunch of issues; some being corrected with 4.2.2 and others not (BT). 4.3 corrects the BT issue which Samsung had already fixed by using their own BT s/w in their 4.2.X ROMs.

Here's a summary of a great 4.1<>4.2 comparison done by Android Authority. A lot of what they are describing doesn't really affect TW-based devices and is more aimed at Nexi users.

So many of the goodies that you love from Android 4.1 Jelly Bean have been carried over to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Most of the stock apps and widgets are similar in both Android versions. To the eyes, there’s no big change in Android 4.2 at all. But, some new significant features and some minor alterations make Android 4.2 sweeter and fun. Here is a brief list of new features from Android 4.2 Jelly Bean:

Support for multiple users (for Android tablets)

Multiple lockscreen pages with widgets Wireless display

Revamped Camera app Photo Sphere HDR Mode (for supported devices)

New Clock app Quick Settings pull-down menu Daydream Gesture typing

Additional options in Developer Options

Magnification Gestures and Explore by Touch accessibility features

Security enhancements

UI design changes

Placed side by side, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean shows a slightly modified and slightly upgraded version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

http://www.androidauthority.com/android-4-1-vs-android-4-2-jelly-bean-149740/​

As for 4.2>4.3 the changes are even fewer.

http://www.android.com/about/jelly-bean/

4.1 is as solid as a rock on the N2 and the new features in 4.2/4.3 are either not that significant or wouldn't apply to a TW-enabled device. I'm looking forward to 4.2/4.3 (supposedly Samsung's skipping 4.2) coming to the N2 primarily to get some of Samsung's "S" additions that were introduced on the SGS4. But I’ll probably get a N3 which will most likely be on 4.3 before the N2 gets upgraded. Of the native Google features the one I'm most interested in is the more flexible lock screen with widget capabilities. Now that Android is mature the days of radically new versions coming out multiple times a year are pretty much over. 4.1 was introduced in June 2012 and here it is August 2013 and the evolution across 4.1/4.2/4.3 is pretty minor.​