Android 4.2 packs double notification bar, alpha suggests

What unfathomable mysteries lurk within the next edition of Android? Version 4.2 of Google's mobile operating system looks set to feature a double notification bar, if elements of a leaked alpha build are to be believed.

Android Police claims to have acquired the build, which it says is a system dump of the rumoured LG Nexus phone. That mythical mobile has already been tipped to land running Android 4.2.

A video from the source of the leak, which you can see below, shows a second notification bar, which is summoned by swiping down twice from the top of the screen.

Swiping down once gives you the normal notification bar that every Android enthusiast will be familiar with. Swipe down again, and you get a second screen that will one day be the home of 'Quick Settings'.

Rather brilliantly, the alpha build shown on the video currently features the placeholder seen above, so there's no way of knowing yet exactly what those quick settings actually are.

The smart money would be on controls for things like brightness, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Some Android gadgets, like those running Samsung's TouchWiz skin, already have these handy toggles. Adding it to Android 4.2 would see raw-Android smart phones like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus also getting the feature.

Another potential new change for Android 4.2 is the ability to see your phone's status when the notification bar is pulled down.

There's no guarantee that these changes are exactly what we'll see with the latest Android update, but it's certainly an intriguing glimpse into what could be the platform's future. Android version 4.2 is expected to be an update to Jelly Bean rather than a whole new iteration.

What would you stick on that cryptic second notification screen? Tell me in the comments or on our Facebook wall.

Image credit: Android Police