Even before Google's Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system has managed to live up to all of its hype, rumor mills have already begun announcing the launch of Android 5.0, nicknamed Jelly Bean, sometime in June 2012.

According to a Digi Times report, Jelly Bean will target tablet/notebooks and is supposed to have a dual booting system. It is also expected that the new version will bring in some updated features for mobile platforms as well.

Although it looks too early for the release of a new Android OS version, it makes sense for Google to release the updated version, considering that Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) does not seem as successful as they had hoped. The much hyped operating system is yet to penetrate the smartphone market in a big way. In fact, as per recent estimates, Ice Cream Sandwich's application to Android devices is just 1 percent.

Ice Cream Sandwich was officially launched inside Samsung's Galaxy Nexus series at the end of last year. Today, although there are confirmed reports of major manufactures releasing high-end mobile devices with the Ice Cream Sandwich software, customers will have to wait for the next quarter to get a clear picture... or at least till the Mobile World Congress to be held in Barcelona from Feb. 27 to March 1.

Another reason cited for the early release of Jelly Bean, according to the report, is that Google would like to time the release with the launch of Microsoft's Windows 8. Windows 8 is expected to be released in the third quarter.

Google will provide dual boot-ability in its Jelly Bean and will integrate Google Chrome system functions to it. The dual boot system will allow suppliers to build devices that can easily and instantly switch between Android and Windows Operating Software, without shutting the system down.

Google, with the new version, will also hope to re-enter the notebook and tablet market. According to the Digi Time report, Taiwanese suppliers are already manufacturing tablets and notebooks with the dual booting system. A final word of caution... some of Google's old partners do not seem overly impressed about the new version.

Smartphone Manufacturing Android Android