Google I/O: Android Ice Cream Sandwich for late 2011

Besides Android 3.1 Honeycomb, Google has also spoken about the next step of their mobile platform - Android Ice Cream Sandwich, anticipated for release before the end of the year.

The Android platform is now the leader in the Smartphone’s segment with more than 35% market share globally, after having overtaken Symbian late in 2010. They have received strong support from developers and manufacturers.

To take the lead, Android very quickly developed (perhaps too quickly) their product, quickly releasing new versions and creating two branches: Android Gingerbread for Smartphones and Android Honeycomb for tablets.

This division, which is starting to create problems for application developers, could be ended with the next large evolution of the platform, nicknamed Android Ice Cream Sandwich and anticipated for release by the end of 2011.

This time, there is a single objective – to use the same platform to drive numerous and diverse devices: Smartphones, tablets and tablet derivatives (like tablets with dock / keyboard transforming a device into a portable computer, etc.)

The theme is therefore "One OS Everywhere" with an adapted interface, widgets that are even more in-depth and a unified development environment so that concerns about a fragmented Android can be alleviated. This is without forgetting that the platform will remain open source.

Pictures courtesy of Engadget