The title isn’t as literal as it may imply. The new version of Android is the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Google has been giving hints as users eagerly await more news. The hints and the reason for the “spilling the bean’s” pun is down to a huge statue that Google have added to their collection on their lawn alongside the ice cream sandwich and the donut! This signifies to fans and users alike that the launch is soon to be here and so the excitement and rumors commence…
Jelly Bean is the predecessor to the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and is reported to be in keeping with this, with a few added features and extras. Not many secrets have been given away, but all will come with time. The software will soon be demonstrated for the press and the wait will be over. The Ice Cream Sandwich was only released in November so Google are spoiling users with a new version of the device so soon.
It is also expected that a new Nexus device will be released in tablet form. This is a rumor, but as detailed as rumours get with it being reported that this tablet will be affordable and stylish with a 7 inch screen and an impressive processor.
2012 is going to be a great year for technology by the looks of it and the Android is stepping up the mark. Microsoft and Apple are undoubtedly fighting with fire with the Nokia Lumia 900 and the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 itself is set to bring radical changes to the device as you know it and Apple with surely have a few surprises up their sleeves. IPhones are the most popular phones by far at the moment, but that’s not to say that Google is out of the running just yet.
Android has steadily built a loyal follower of users who are likely to stick to what they know. When people come to choose between the operating systems, it’s not that often that they will jump ship once the decision has been made. Android can take over where BlackBerry has been dominant and look to take the business route and one way this could be achieved is to buy RIM. RIM is not going to survive the next few years and could be the step that Android needs to take to move up in the game.
Google could really benefit from making the purchase and the idea makes sense a lot more for them than it would for Apple or Microsoft. The possibilities that could come from merging Android and RIM software could be impressive and enable Google to bring something new that Apple and Microsoft have not yet considered.
Google has the best advantage in the tools and information it has available so to have some additional, useful software added into the mix can only mean good things for its future. Google knows everything and with wireless broadband plan availability so does the user. This is something they need to try to use to their advantage.
Google are also looking to get into the tablet game which could be tricky to say the least with Apple dominating all of these markets. Amazon can do some pretty amazing things though and has a lot of power, so does Google, so who knows what could happen in that sense.
Google has a lot to give and has the best possible source of market research available to them. They know what people want because they find it for them online! All they need to do now is bring it together, think outside the box, and give users what no one else can. That’s not much to ask for, right?
The amount of technological advances set to come in 2012 is really exciting. Do you think Android can keep up with Microsoft and Apple? The answers will come with the release of the new OS so watch this space!
