Crazy Rumor: Android 5.0 "Jelly Bean" in 2Q12

Taiwan-based supply chain makers claim Google is launching Android 5.0 in 2Q12. Too funny.

Earlier this week, Motorola said that the delay in launching Android 4.0 mainly rests on Google's shoulders, as the company developed the platform based around one hardware set and is currently writing code that will make Ice Cream Sandwich edible on all hardware configurations. Motorola also released its upgrade schedule on Wednesday, clearly showing why devices have yet to receive the v4.0 upgrade.

Yet despite this, Taiwan-based supply chain makers claim that Google will launch Android 5.0 "Jelly Bean" -- notice it doesn't even follow the frozen treat theme -- as early as 2Q12 because the adoption of Ice Cream Sandwich has fallen short of original expectations. They also claim Google will launch Jelly Bean in this specific timeframe so that it will be ready for Windows 8 this fall.

According to the sources, Android 5.0 will be further optimized for tablets while also integrating Chrome system functions. This means Google plans to push for dual-operating system designs on Windows 8 devices. Vendors can either choose to use Android 5.0 solely on the device, or pack it with Windows 8 and provide the means to switch between the two operating systems without the need to reboot.

Notice the word "device." There's indication by the unnamed supply chain makers that Google intends to use Android 5.0 "Jelly Bean" to enter the notebook and netbook markets again. But given that Android 4.0 did not perform as well as expected even though it's really not completely available on the market, several Google downstream partners are turning conservative about the rumored Android 5.0.

What's likely the case is that Android 5.0 "Jelly Bean" is actually a new version of ChromeOS, not Android. It may be a long time before we see the next version of Android released given Google's developmental track record with the mobile OS.

You need to be logged to post a comment

There are 29 Comments.

Top Comments

21

anonymous@guest , February 17, 2012 10:22 PM

Doesn't follow the frozen treat theme? I guess you forgot about Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Gingerbread, and Honeycomb. Frozen treats have been the minority of Android releases.

Other Comments

8

classzero , February 17, 2012 10:11 PM

This is bringing fragmentation to a higher level.
21

anonymous@guest , February 17, 2012 10:22 PM

Doesn't follow the frozen treat theme? I guess you forgot about Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Gingerbread, and Honeycomb. Frozen treats have been the minority of Android releases.
8

kawininjazx , February 17, 2012 10:22 PM

Android 4.0 comes out, all the new phones still have 2.3.5. It will probably take 6 more months for them to actually update them, and they will never see 5.0. If you have a samsung, I doubt they will give you any updates.
-15

kunjar , February 17, 2012 10:24 PM

Android will never be as unified as iOS and this will result in users turning to iOS. Some carriers still havent released gingerbread. Rather disappointing.
0

frozonic , February 17, 2012 10:32 PM

i think its more like 3Q12 or 4Q12
3

fazers_on_stun , February 17, 2012 10:38 PM

Hmm, my Asus transformer tablet is still stuck on version 3.2 - hope these later versions fix some problems and are available sooner than later..
6

dimar , February 17, 2012 10:39 PM

Google should stop making new Android releases until the fragmentation issue is fully resolved!
-5

stevelord , February 17, 2012 10:45 PM

Another OS where people will get excited about it "just because" without knowing what it does. All the hype over ICS was stupid. Updated my XOOM with it and only thing I noticed was a slight bump in browsing performance.

Too many operating systems is NOT necessarily a good thing.
3

CaedenV , February 17, 2012 10:47 PM

Man my Nikia phone is still on... oh, it's not a smart phone... I guess I don't matter...
4

FlayerSlayer , February 17, 2012 10:47 PM

My phone came out 2011 Q3.
Ice Cream Sandwich came out 2011 Q4.
My phone will get ICS around 2012 Q3.
Jelly Bean will be before that? Even if it's out this year at all, there will be dual-core high-end phones running 2.x when 5.0 comes out. That's obscene.

Just like Honeycomb was a tablet exclusive, it looks like ICS will be a Nexus exclusive if they're just leapfrogging it to 5.0 before more than a handful of devices ever get 4.0.
-1

anonymous@guest , February 17, 2012 10:54 PM

..where do you tech writers come from? i mean, really, reading tech news lately is like something from the likes of national enquirer or star magazine,.. is that where you writers come from?? please writes some where else... go away!
-1

anonymous@guest , February 17, 2012 10:55 PM

With Androids multiple price points there will always be some fragmentation. For the average smart phone consumers this is not issue. Most people who have IOS or Android do no utilize theirs phones or tablets to full capabilities. They want to talk, text, email and surf etc. As long as they can do this I don't think they really care. I'm sure that Android will continue to evolve into more unified system.
1

hp79 , February 17, 2012 10:58 PM

I have a Nexus S on ATT. Where is my February ICS?!! I've waited for the promised one month. We are almost looking at March now. No sign of the update yet. I am pretty disappointed at the slow adoption speed.
0

anonymous@guest , February 17, 2012 11:09 PM

It's time for Android to grow up and take on the likes of Windows and Mac OS X!
0

supall , February 17, 2012 11:47 PM

hp79I have a Nexus S on ATT. Where is my February ICS?!! I've waited for the promised one month. We are almost looking at March now. No sign of the update yet. I am pretty disappointed at the slow adoption speed.

You have a Nexus S. How have you not grabbed one of the ICS ROMs for your phone already?
-3

RipperjackAU , February 17, 2012 11:53 PM

WHAT??!! No "Jelly Dildo"?.... LAME!!
-1

SteelCity1981 , February 17, 2012 11:53 PM

I hope one day soon Google really takes its Chrome OS and starts to really go after Microsoft in the PC segment. Can you imagine real competition that no one has yet to give Microsoft in the PC segment yet? Hopefully that wish will come true in the near future. It would drive Microsoft OSes and their Office Suites way down in price to compete with a Google if they got real serious about putting out an OS that is truly capable of giving Microsoft some major competition in the PC segment.
7

husker , February 18, 2012 12:11 AM

dimarGoogle should stop making new Android releases until the fragmentation issue is fully resolved!

Yes, and Ford should stop making cars until they all carry the same number of passengers...
And Dunkin Donuts should stop selling donuts until everyone buys the same flavor...
And Intel should stop making processors until all software runs the same on all of them...
And people should stop posting comments on Tom's Website until we all agree.
5

dimar , February 18, 2012 12:34 AM

huskerYes, and Ford should stop making cars until they all carry the same number of passengers...And Dunkin Donuts should stop selling donuts until everyone buys the same flavor...And Intel should stop making processors until all software runs the same on all of them...And people should stop posting comments on Tom's Website until we all agree.

Correction :-)
Yes, and Ford should stop making cars until they run on clean, 100% efficient & reusable power.
And Dunkin Donuts should stop selling donuts until everyone gets in perfect physical shape.
And Intel should stop making processors until they are 100% power efficient.
And people should stop posting comments on Tom's Website if it's spam.
Make the world a better place :-)
2

stingray71 , February 18, 2012 12:45 AM

Love Jelly Beans! Have ICS on my Xoom and love it, browser is better, ability to easily combine apps into one folder, and overall increase in speed/smoothness have make it worth it for me.

Display more comments

Crazy Rumor: Android 5.0 "Jelly Bean" in 2Q12

Tom’s guide in the world