At today’s Google I/O conference, the company revealed the broad thinking behind the next update of Android, which is being crafted under the development name of “Ice Cream Sandwich”.
The bold claim is that ICS will be one, single, unified version of the OS that “that works everywhere, regardless of device”. It will bring Android 3.0 features to phones, and hopefully put an end to the constant fragmentation whinges. Here’s Google’s first confirmation of the “Ice Cream Sandwich” masterplan:
Over the past two and a half years, we’ve shipped eight releases of Android and there are now more than 310 Android devices around the world, of all shapes and sizes. This morning we talked about our next version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich. Our goal with Ice Cream Sandwich is to deliver one operating system that works everywhere, regardless of device. Ice Cream Sandwich will bring everything you love about Honeycomb on your tablet to your phone, including the holographic user interface, more multitasking, the new launcher and richer widgets.
Good luck waiting for this to arrive on your HTC Wildfire. Read the full Google I/O summary over on the Google Blog.
HTC’s 4.3″ dual-core Android model, powered by Qualcomm’s all-new S4 processor. It’s smaller than the enormous One X, but is it as nice as its bigger brother? (SPOILER: Yes it is).
HTC is very much B-A-C-K at the top of the Android world with this, its quad-core flagship for 2012. Great camera, huge 4.7″ display and Android 4.0 running beautifully well.
Sony returns with an all-new mobile design for 2012, pairing a dual-core processor with a 720p display. It’s a lovely phone, but is it enough to end our Samsung and HTC obsession?
LG’s updated Prada phone comes with an absolutely crazy black & white theme, but is it just for fashionable suit wearers who want to make themselves look a bit more interesting?
Ben
/ May 10, 2011Good to hear that the two versions will be merged in to one, though I wonder how this will affect lower spec phones. Are they going to have enough power to run this?
Matt
/ May 10, 2011I love the names they give their versions. How can anyone stand there and not grin a little bit when referring to the OS update as an “Ice Cream Sandwich”.
Gary C
/ May 10, 2011I wish they weren’t so Americanised. Is there a quaint UK equivalent name from the 1970s for an ICS?
Richie
/ May 11, 2011Only thing I can think of is Artic Roll !
I think we refer to them as an Icecream Wafer….
Toto
/ May 11, 2011In Scotland, at least where I grew up, a similar type of treat was called a “single (or double) nugget”, from a mispronunciation of nougat:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream_sandwich#Scotland
brypie
/ May 11, 2011I’m in Scotland as well – and these are Ice Cream “Sliders”. Nothing else! :-)
the m werd
/ May 10, 2011One OS to rule them all, eh? I’m glad that google are trying to address the fragmentation that appears to be a problem, but this looks like one of those things that we will be talking about in a year as “about to happen”. A see a long wait….
Matt
/ May 11, 2011Hope it works out right and hope it gets released on the Desire HD.
Minky
/ October 31, 2011we call them Choc Ice’s in NE UK