Even though 99% of Android users don’t have Android 4.0 yet, Google is reportedly already planning to deploy Android 5.0 in the coming months.
Statistically speaking, unless you have 100 friends with Android devices, you’re unlikely to know anyone with Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich. That is in part because devices that have attempted the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade process have been subject to major technical problems.
Both the Nexus S phone and the Transformer Prime tablet issued upgrades, only to have users complain that their device started freezing or crashing uncontrollably. As a result, manufacturers have become increasingly tepid about their ICS rollout plans.
Motorola announced this week that it would not be updating most of its devices until the second quarter of 2012. And now, Digitimes is reporting that according to overseas component suppliers, Android 5.0, known as Jelly Bean, is already making its way into discussions.
The site reports that Jelly Bean may make its debut in the second quarter of 2012 as well, completely overshadowing the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade process.
Interestingly, though, Digitimes notes that Android 5.0 has its eye on tablets as well as potentially notebook and netbook computers. Google wants to make a splash in the market where both Microsoft and Apple are capturing a lot of attention with their respective operating system updates this year.
With a problematic Android 4.0 rollout, manufacturers are understandably uneasy about Android 5.0. We all knew Android was growing too big too fast, and it looks like the steam train has finally hit a roadblock.
