While we just recently saw the first release candidate for CyanogenMod 9 released, users shouldn’t get too worried that the next version of the popular custom ROM will take as long as this past release. With the introduction of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the CyanogenMod team is already assessing its plans to get the upcoming release out to its user base.
What’s likely the best news to come out of the recent Google+ post is that if your current handset can support CyanogenMod 9, then you’ll likely get the bump to Jelly Bean.
Essentially, if your device met our criteria for CM9 (512mb RAM, etc) and is already supported, then you should be in line for CM10.
Of course, the team hasn’t received the source code for Jelly Bean just yet, so there could be some unforeseen slowdowns.
The team decided to rewrite CM enhancements when Ice Cream Sandwich debuted since it was a significant update to the Android operating system. That decision will likely benefit updates going forward, as the post mentions that most of the CM code will “merge cleanly into JB, with minimal fuss.” Certain parts of CyanogenMod will need to be redone, such as the Trebuchet Launcher, Lockscreen tweaks, and theme engine.
However, before Jelly Bean takes priority, the team’s main focus will be to release a stable version (read: Not Release Candidate) of CyanogenMod 9. After that, CM7 and CM10 will be the only projects the team will be working on. The post even mentions when the next version of CM will be released: When it’s ready.
It’s definitely nice to see these kind of updates from developers like the CyanogenMod team. And while rooting and hacking may not be everyone’s cup of tea, we can imagine that there will be a usable Jelly Bean release for a handful of handsets before the majority of qualifying Android phones get the official update. That’s for sure.