Android Ice Cream Sandwich: Shots Leaked, What Features Can We Expect?

Images of Android's next big operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich, have been leaked and are spreading around the blogosphere.

Two blogs, Android Police and Rootz Wiki, posted leaked shots of the upcoming operating system. The operating system will be the eighth major version of the Android operating system lineage and the 7^th to use a dessert name (1.0 didn't use a name).

According to the blogs, Ice Cream Sandwich will come with a plethora of new features from what they could tell already. The biggest? The user interface is a lot different. Ice Cream Sandwich will go with a blue theme according to the leaked pictures.

Some of the other features include a redone Gmail, embedded Google search on the top bar, Apps/Widgets that look like Honeycomb and a new notification bar. Also the launcher and app drawer is completely redone with four apps instead of the usual three. There also is apparently a task switcher icon.

According to the blogs, the first phone to get Ice Cream Sandwich will be the Nexus S Prime. However, it will be available for the Nexus S as well. NFC enabled phones, which is thus far only the Nexus S, will be able to use Ice Cream Sandwich, as will those who want to use Google Shopper.

That's pretty much it, but this still represents the first leaked information on the next Android OS. Google said back at its Google I/O conference that it was set to launch Ice Cream Sandwich in the fourth quarter of this year. However, it has kept most information close to its chest.

According to a report from Boy Genius Report, Google is looking to release Ice Cream Sandwich at the same time Apple releases the iPhone 5. This is because Google doesn't want people drooling over the iPhone 5 while coming out of their contracts.

Back at the I/O, Google said Ice Cream Sandwich will be the first operating system to be both for smartphone, tablets, laptops and other possible devices. It will have features that cater to both. This will make it the first unified Android operating system in Google's history.

It is unclear whether or not Ice Cream Sandwich will be Android 3.2 or 4.0.

Google says it wants "one OS that runs everywhere." This also means developers won't be burdened by fragmentation as new, open-source APIs will help them create apps that can be accessed on multiple operating systems and platforms. Ice Cream Sandwich will also feature facial tracking technology.

Before Ice Cream Sandwich launches, Google will launch Android 3.1, which will update its Honeycomb operating system. Honeycomb has been geared towards tablet devices only. That update comes with movie rental service, resizable widgets, new books and video editing apps and updated version of Google's main offering of apps.

Google did not respond to a request for comment.

Follow Gabriel Perna on Twitter at @GabrielSPerna