Next Android Version to be Unveiled at Google I/O Tomorrow
Google’s annual developer conference, Google I/O, kicks off tomorrow. There, Android boss Sundar Pichai is expected to talk about a lot of what Google’s got going on in the consumer electronics front. And a new report on Business Week seems to indicate that instead of waiting until the fall, the company will actually unveil the newest version of Android right about now.
According to the report, OEMs were unhappy with having such a late turnaround time to develop new devices running the latest versions of Google’s mobile OS. The result is that this year Google will lift the curtain in the summer – though it’s not entirely clear whether or not users will actually get to try it out when it’s announced or later on this year. The name of the release isn’t revealed either, but it does seem clear that no matter what they call it, Google is getting ready to drop the next big upgrade to Android – big enough to earn the next letter after “KitKat.”
It’s possible that we’ll see our first official look at “Quantum Paper,” an aesthetic redesign of Android’s UI that was leaked earlier this month. A post on Neowin points the way back to Reddit, where a user claims to have found leaked images (at the top and on the right of this post) of Android 5 – or whatever number or name Google decides to give it.
That isn’t all, either. The report also adds that Pichai will talk about Android Wear, not to mention some fitness-focused software in that same realm. Chances seem good that this refers to Google Fit, what’s believed to be the company’s answer to Apple’s HealthKit, which was announced at WWDC earlier this month. And then there’s also word that Pichai will talk about Android TV.
So, you know. Tomorrow will be kind of busy, I guess.
In all, while WWDC had plenty for Apple fans to enjoy, tomorrow will hopefully be just as enjoyable for us Android-philes. I can’t wait to hear more about Android Wear, and hopefully we’ll get some hard release information about the Moto 360 smartwatch. I know I’ll be watching…will you?
[Source: Business Week, Neowin]