Google had been widely expected earlier this year to announce the next major version of Android at its Google I/O 2013 event in May. The event came and went without the mention of Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. There was no mention of Android 4.3 either despite rumours that it Google would launch it as a stopgap measure after deciding to delay Key Lime Pie to allow manufacturers to catch up with OS upgrades. Now comes word courtesy of VR-Zone that Google will unveil Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie in late October.
The report adds that Android 5.0 has been heavily optimized. Unlike Android 4.x, it will be able to run on devices with as little as 512MB of RAM. The last version of Android capable of such a feat was Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
Why would Google invest so much in optimizing its mobile operating system? It could be that Google is targeting emerging markets with cheap devices running the latest operating system. It could also be part of an internal exercise to spend some time tightening up the code to make it run as efficiently as possible. It would not be the first time that a company has done something like that: Microsoft did something similar with its Windows Phone operating system.
The timing certainly makes sense in that it lines up with rumours that Motorola would launch its oft-rumoured X Phone in the same time frame. It will also mark the Google Nexus 4′s first anniversary and announcement of the next Nexus smartphone.
It remains to be seen if we’ll see Android 4.3 between now and then.
Source : VR-Zone