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Topic: Smartphones

Google Play says Android 4.1 'Jelly Bean' will launch "soon"

Summary: Google accidentally tells Google Play users that Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" will be coming "soon."

Zack Whittaker

By for Between the Lines |

Google may be gearing up for a preview of Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" as early as next week in time for Google I/O.

A Galaxy Nexus listing in the Google Play U.S. store appeared to out the forthcoming mobile operating system. The listing says the Galaxy Nexus will be "soon the first phone with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean."

Little is known about "Jelly Bean" as the Google roadmap tends to give little away. It has been rumoured the update may be released during the second-quarter of this year, and include Google's Chrome as the default browser, which is currently in public beta.

Adoption has been slow, however. It's slowly picking up, but many users are on legacy versions of the mobile software.

Apple, in its recent iOS 6 announcement, criticised Google for its "fragmented" ecosystem as many devices still run an older version of Android.

Currently, there are no fewer than 11 active version of Android while only three versions of iOS.

In the space of three weeks, there was an increase of more than 1 percent in adoption between March 21 and April 3. However, many are stuck using older devices and more than 63 percent of users remain on Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" platform. More than 20 percent are on the older Android 2.2 "Froyo" iteration.

Around 7 percent of users are on Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" according to Google as of June 1.

Many would be surprised if Google didn't announce the next-generation mobile operating system at the Google I/O developer conference next week, just as Apple did with its iOS 6 rival earlier this month.

Image source: Google Play.

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Topics: Smartphones, Android, Google, Hardware, Mobile OS, Mobility, Security

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49 comments
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  • Can't wait to see the new OS

    I'm a big fan of Google and Android. There is too much OS fragmentation. I agree with Apple's comments. The OSes ought to give benefit to their users. It's simple, it's sharing the love. Many buy new phones for the features or just because it's big and shiny [did I say iPhone?].

    I'm looking forward to the new OS. I hope it does address a LOT of the difficulties users have. I don't want to upgrade my phone to another phone when the OS provider ought to be upgrading this for me. Sadly I own a few earlier Windows mobile OSes. We had the same issue. However the technology of the device allowed an upgrade {with some worrying ROM over-writing}. So... why not with Android? Can Mr Google please stand up?

    I'm stuck on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform. Ironically enough my battery life still remains a huge problem with a nice 2 charges a day. This is with an extra long life battery and Juice Defender working away! I want to change. My Samsung is sweet. Looks like an iPhone and I want to stay Android. Please let me upgrade!

    I believe users still wish to kill off applications running in the background. This never seems to work even with hard-core killing app apps. So... don't start an app unless you don't need to. You will need to restart the phone so it won't run in the background.

    My friend has a S3.. better battery life and loving it with a more powerful phone. The new OS from Android seems to address the battery eating beast. Come on Android... let's fight it together. It'd make me happy. It really would!

    Google.. please show the love and make coding and devices more compatible. The result is everyone feels like a JAM DONUT and the result is far from SWEET.
    helruna
    Reply 1 Vote

    • The problem with Android is the variation in performance

      across the many Android devices. Android might be great on one phone but poor on another. And then there's the constant stream of new devices. While it's great to see so many devices, I would hate to be the person that bought the original Droid Razr only to see the new and improved Razr Max come out a few weeks later.

      This is all similar to the problems MS faces with OEM's, hopefully Googlrola will roll out some nice devices that have consistent performance.
      otaddy
      Reply Vote

    • Better battery life...

      Don't forget that the newer Android phones actually have a bigger battery compared to the older ones, so battery life is only slightly better because more general power is available to the newer phones. I believe Apple's iPhones are still more efficient at power.
      DonRupertBitByte
      Reply Vote

      • battery

        OK my HTC One S is 20 times better for battery than my old Windows Phone, on par with my kids' black berry and iPhones.
        sysop-dr
        Reply Vote

    • It's not Google/Android's fault, blame the carriers and manufacturers

      > "I'm looking forward to the new OS. I hope it does address a LOT of the difficulties users have. "
      Exactly what difficulties are you facing in ICS? I've faced no issues at with ICS on my S2.

      > " I don't want to upgrade my phone to another phone when the OS provider ought to be upgrading this for me. Sadly I own a few earlier Windows mobile OSes. We had the same issue. However the technology of the device allowed an upgrade {with some worrying ROM over-writing}. So... why not with Android? Can Mr Google please stand up?"
      Um, Android devices are generally more flexible than the old WinMo devices. You can legally install a custom ROM, cook your own ROM or heck even compile your own ROM from the source (AOSP). You don't have to wait for your carrier or manufacturer. Ever heard of the Cyanogenmod project? If you haven't, you're missing out on one of the biggest advantages Android has over other platforms..

      > "I'm stuck on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform. Ironically enough my battery life still remains a huge problem with a nice 2 charges a day. This is with an extra long life battery and Juice Defender working away!"
      ICS fixes a lot of battery issues. Most people report that they only have to charge their phone once in 1.5 days - of course that's greatly usage dependent. And don't use Juice Defender - using a program that's constantly running in the background, monitoring various sensors and parameters means JD itself sucks a lot of your precious battery. Just do what you want to do manually, or you could set up a tasker script for things like automatically turning off the wifi etc at night time... If you think there's something very wrong eating your battery, use BetterBatteryStats or CPUSpy to see what's going on exactly.

      > " Please let me upgrade!"
      Blame your carrier / manufacturer.

      > "I believe users still wish to kill off applications running in the background. This never seems to work even with hard-core killing app apps. So... don't start an app unless you don't need to. "
      Not anymore. ICS brings in huge memory management improvements. It can be at times aggressive in killing awry background apps, and for the most part it works great.

      Really, you should give ICS a try. Head over to cyanogenmod.com or xda-developers.com .
      [deXter]
      Reply Vote

    • Nope

      "I'm stuck on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform. Ironically enough my battery life still remains a huge problem with a nice 2 charges a day. This is with an extra long life battery and Juice Defender working away! I want to change. My Samsung is sweet. Looks like an iPhone and I want to stay Android. Please let me upgrade!"

      Uninstall that Juice Defender and your battery lifetime will improve!

      All those battery saving applications only eats faster your battery and slow down your phone.

      Don't be a ignorance and trust that your RAM needs to be free so your phone could be faster, in contrary, it is just slower.

      And every time juice defender and such just clean RAM, it causes more CPU cycles and more I/O and slow downs the system and your work.

      Juice Defender can even make your device 2-3x faster to empty its battery.

      Let the Linux OS to handle process and memory management in Android and it goes just fine.

      If something, you can check what applications use most data connection and power and then search replacement to them. There are applications (like watchdog) what tells you easily what applications eats your battery (like Juice Defender eats it fast) and just remove then them.

      Google does not develop the Android as Open Handset Alliance is responsible for developing Android. And Android devices are compatible to newer Android but not all latest Android features. like if you have phone without NFC hardware, you can get 4.0 to phone but not have access to NFC applications.

      The application hanging at background isn't problem at all, far from it, it is faster for user needs and Linux OS in Android will take care to make space for memory for new process what needs it.

      The problem is that some applications generates wakelock too often and denies phone possibility to sleep.
      Fri13
      Reply Vote

      • Linux based ..

        Maybe I am wrong, but I thought Android was Java based?
        CND-Dude
        Reply Vote

  • Have you mentioned

    for fairness sake Apple's very deliberate fragmentation of my 4th gen iphone? No Siri? No 3d maps or turn by turn? at least those legacy devices that Apple criticized can and do run turn by turn navigation as recently as far back as android 2.0 Does IOS 2.0 have free turn by turn? oh no cuz Aplz wants to me pay for it. I made the mistake once of buying into this lockdown phone. Which i had to jailbreak to even have some of the features I left behind in my seriously underpowered mytouch3g. One more thing, why is that eveytime I upgrade to a newer version of IOS my device gets slower and more sluggish. Why couldn't Apple keep the consistence that ios 4.2.1 had. That thing was a thing of beauty, it has been downhill since then.
    Just my 2 cents!
    wolfn11
    Reply 1 Vote

    • iOS 6 is forthcoming

      You will get iOS 6 for your iPhone, delivering Siri and 3D Maps. I understand the frustration with device slow-down ... that's an unfortunate reality of functionality progress vs. stagnant hardware technology.
      lapland_lapin
      Reply Vote

      • Actually @wolfn11 won't

        @wolfn11 said "4th gen" phone. 1-original iPhone; 2-iPhone 3G; 3-iPhone 3GS; 4-iPhone 4. No Siri, only available on iPhone 4S, and 3rd gen iPad with Internet access. No 3D maps, no turn by turn, only available on iPhone 4S and iPad 2 or better with Internet access, 3G or 4G.

        For the iPhone 4 (I haven't tried that on iPhone 3GS) for turn-by-turn, I would suggest the free "MapQuest" app. I have an iPhone 4S, but I don't need to wait for iOS6 to get turn-by-turn. Apple doesn't like having apps that provide the same functionality, so I would suggest getting it ASAP because they could pull it with the release of iOS 6 (doesn't mean they will, but still a possibility - they pulled Siri when they bought it. Siri was an independent app before iOS 5).

        Yes, iOS is fragmented. iOS 6 is not available to the original iPad and any iPod Touch below 4th gen. Not everyone will or can upgrade to iOS 6, so if you are a developer, do you use all iOS 6 features or do you develop for iOS 5 or fat binary.
        ManoaHI
        Reply Vote

  • So? I have a phone that's ICS "upgradable"

    and here in the U.S....that apparently means nothing. Maybe I'll see ICS on my phone when Google is finally out with "Lemondrop"
    elite_logic
    Reply Vote

    • Google has poisoned the OEMs

      'nuff said.
      Your Non Advocate
      Reply Vote

      • Microsoft has poisoned the OEMs

        I can smell the bile from here. Somebody is really bitter about Microsoft's ongoing comedy of missteps with mobile Windows, seemingly unable to do one single thing right, falling ever further behind while Android continues to go from strength to strength.
        ldo17
        Reply Vote

    • From what I've heard

      It's mostly up to the carriers. They all have their own specific programs and configurations, and drag their feet big time when it comes to releases. I had the original AT&T Galaxy S. It came with 2.1, and I had to root to run 2.2. However, the UK and unlocked versions already HAD 2.2 unrooted, it was just AT&T taking forever to release the update. We're directing our hate at Google, when we should really be directing it at the mobile carriers
      dsa791
      Reply Vote

      • It is Google

        That allows carriers to block updates....so yeah I think it is fair to blame Google....of course no one ever mentions just how difficult it can be to upgrade an Android phone depending on the device, some can be updated OTA, others have to be tethered and to use special manufacturer software....part of the reason why many phones haven't been updated is because people don't know how to update them....
        Doctor Demento
        Reply Vote

    • Same here.

      Been seeing rumors about ICS coming to Verizon's Droid Bionic since LAST OCTOBER! Now this? How many MORE Android "confections" will be announced before ICS is finally released to my phone?

      Seems like that by the time ICS is rolled out to the Bionic...it will be obsolete.

      ICS is supposed to now be available for the Bionic in "early Q3"...which starts 01 July. We'll see.
      IT_Fella
      Reply Vote

  • Android Phone and the Carriers

    Why can't the carriers get off their behinds and start updating the Android phones. They are lazy and refuse to budge from their damn couches. If Google and/or the manufactures of the phones could do the updates without the US carriers in the way, they would. Meanwhile, I'm still stuck with Gingerbread, which my providers promised updates.
    Calling up one of the Carriers...."I would like to get my new Android OS, can you help"..."I'm sorry that cannot be done we are still working that out"....
    penlite
    Reply Vote

    • The real problem that seems to be missed

      Is that it will cost the carriers time and effort (read money) to update if they try to retain their own interface/GUI and crapware.
      If google were allowed to update, they could not retain any of thier "proprietary" crap
      arlkay@...
      Reply Vote

    • Because the have NO motivation to!

      What's the upside for them? They pay for testing and managing the upgrade for what? Much better to save themselves the effort and just sell you a new phone in two years.
      matthew_maurice
      Reply Vote

      • Anything subscription-based will cultivate that mindset...

        The next thing you know, they will add legalese to make it easier for them to be lazy (by saying the world owes you nothing and to just buy the next phone that comes out that has the new OS integrated.)

        And from a security standpoint, the laziness of these companies is going to come to a head one day and it won't be pretty.

        But we live in a free market, apparently. Just buy another phone and ditch the current one you've got... it's that simple. (Well, simple for the product providers anyway... more profitable for them as well... it's a good system.)
        HypnoToad72
        Reply Vote
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