Everbody knows, Android users waiting for the Ice Cream Sandwich version of the
mobile operating system, and we will see the latest flavor pop up sometime in
October or November. Because Google's own executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, tipped off the time frame for the new version of
Android in an interview yesterday with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.
It is uncovered by Android and Me
and other sources, the videotaped interview shows Schmidt specifically
saying that "we have a new operating system, internally known as Ice
Cream Sandwich for some reason, which is being released in
October/November, which everyone's really excited about."
The time frame does match up with earlier reports from Boy Genius Report that Google was working hard to push up the launch date for the next version of Android from the end of the year to as early as October. With Apple's new
iPhone rumored
to hit the market in early October, a source told BGR that Google
doesn't want Android subscribers coming off contract and "drooling over
the
iPhone 5."
Aiming to combine elements of the Honeycomb and Gingerbread versions, Ice Cream Sandwich
will be Google's first attempt to unify its mobile OS into a single
platform that can run equally well on both smartphones and tablets. ICS
developers will get new open-source APIs and a framework that will help
them optimize their apps to run on a variety of different Android phones
and tablets.
The Samsung Nexus Prime is a likely candidate
to be the first Ice Cream Sandwich phone. Citing a report from Korea's
Electronic Times, BGR last month said that the Prime is slated to launch
in October, again matching up with the time frame that Schmidt
revealed.
video Android Ice Cream Sandwich
More about Android Ice Cream Sandwich
It's not just for phones...We'll be seeing Ice Cream Sandwich on phones, tablets, computers...
There's nothing worse than your friends having a more recent Android version than what you have, and thus getting cool new features. Google said they want "one OS that runs everywhere." They're going to do this by adapting the framework and adding new APIs "to help developers optimize for all various devices." Naturally, they're going to be open source....
with standardized updates...
how frustrating it was not having the latest version of Android. Hell, having nothing but Cupcake. Google has signed up "founding parties" of the Open Handset Alliance (that is, all the hardware manufacturers that create products using Android), and made them promise that all new devices must be capable of running the latest versions of Android, for the first 18 months after they go on sale. This is great news, and a really positive step forward for Google. But what about the old devices?
Yes, handsets must be able to handle Android updates for 18 months, but that doesn't necessarily mean that phones with custom skins will get updates as they hit. Andy Rubins said during a Q&A at Google IO that it's something they're still figuring out.
Ice Cream Sandwich will be open source...
Unlike Honeycomb, which Google says was not made open source as they worked to unify the Android OS for various devices and form factors, Ice Cream Sandwich will be open sourced for developers to do as they please with.
there's also going to be some neat 3D stuff...
Everyone's going 3D! So it makes sense Google wants in on the action too; albeit in a different way to most. Ice Cream Sandwich is going to use OpenGL headtracking, so it can track the user's facial features—your eyes, two noses, big smile grin and so on—and kind of like the Kinect, the device will replicate what the user is seeing. It's very difficult to explain, so you should check out the videos below for a proper demo of the feature.
...if you don't turn into a DIYer with Ice Cream Sandwich, there's something wrong with you...
Google's going down the maker route with the Android Open Accessory feature, which is a set of APIs that let third-party devices, such as your bike, actually sync up with your 2.3.4 or 3.1 device and send the data both ways. It will use USB for starters, and Bluetooth later, and while you need a compatible app (in the bike's case, they were using the CardioQuest app), you'll be able to write it yourself! Isn't that fun? Yes, it's fun.
What Is Android's Ice Cream Sandwich?
...you can get a taste later this year...
Unfortunately it's not going to be available until the fourth quarter of this year. Sorry!
...and isn't just called Ice Cream because...
Have you seen how Google erects big statues outside their HQ for every Android release? Froyo (short of frozen yoghurt) was released May last year, and as it looks like a big squirt of icecream,
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