Holiday Gift Guide »

Rumor: Google Android 5.0 Jelly Bean not launching until Q3 2012

Categories: Android
By: , IntoMobile
Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 at 10:37 AM
jellybean

According to Google’s latest figures (last updated March 5, 2012), only 1.6% of all the Android devices out on the market right now are running the latest version of the OS, better known as Ice Cream Sandwich. In fact, we’re having a hard time trying to think of which devices are in that tiny 1.6% sliver. There’s the Galaxy Nexus, of course; there’s the Samsung Galaxy S II, though it’s only now starting to receive ICS; and then there’s the ASUS Transformer Prime, which isn’t a smartphone. Is it a bit too early then to start talking about Android 5.0 Jelly Bean? Probably, but let’s do it anyway! According to our favorite Taiwanese rumor site, DigiTimes, Google originally planned to announce and ship Jelly bean in Q2 of this year. That would translate to anytime between the first of April and the last day of June. Now it looks like Jelly Bean has slipped to Q3, which is anytime between July and September.

Why the delay? Something tells us it’s because everyone needs to catch up on releasing Android 4.0 devices first. Also, it’s widely expected that the new iPhone is going to be announced during roughly the same time as the iPhone 4S, meaning October. It doesn’t make sense for Google to show off their cards this summer and then let Apple steal the show a few months later. Now that we think about it, that’s exactly what Google did with ICS. They announced Android 4.0 at Google I/O during the summer, but they waited until October to show it off, along with the first device to be running it, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to predict that Google is going to talk about Jelly Bean at Google I/O this June, but then they’ll keep their mouths shut until the fall when they launch the next Nexus. The bigger question here is who exactly will make the next Nexus? Think it’ll be Samsung again?

About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

  • http://www.efetech.com.ar Federico

    There is an HTC device and also the Motorola Xoom

    • http://www.intomobile.com/ Stefan Constantinescu

      Right, the Xoom! Which HTC device, the Vivid?

      • http://www.efetech.com.ar Federico

        Well, some Nexus S too..

  • http://www.igcent.com/ Guest

    It better be launching very soon!

  • Anonymous

    I don’t think Google will be launching Android 5.0 Jelly Bean at the moment. Even if the developers has finalized Jelly Bean, the management won’t allow to launch it yet. They would be believing that we should get some more revenue from Android ICS.
    Also, Android ICS has done well damage to iOS at the moment by giving the same and some extra features. I am confident in saying that Google shall hold on to it and try to enhance bit more before launching.