Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Android 4.0, codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich, isn't expected to launch until later this year. We may just have a date to get a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich, otherwise known as the next version of Google's Android mobile operating system. The search giant previewed Ice Cream Sandwich at the Google I/O conference in May to the delight of Android developers.

Earlier this month, Google chairman Eric Schmidt let it slip at Salesforce.com's Dreamforce conference that Android 4.0, the next major overhaul to Google's mobile OS, will be released in "October or November."

Of course, Google hasn't named an official release date for Ice Cream Sandwich (neither has Apple officially said that its Oct. 4 event is about the iPhone 5, wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Google's fourth, unreleased version of its mobile operating system, made a brief video appearance in the blogosphere on Thursday.

Notion Ink tablet CEO Rohan Shravan, who slipped on his blog that Ice Cream Sandwich updates would "arrive in November after Google's launch in late October," said the video provided to Engadget "indeed looks real."


Google previewed Ice Cream Sandwich at the Google I/O conference in May, saying vaguely that it would launch this fall. Then earlier this month, Google chairman Eric Schmidt let it slip at Salesforce.com's Dreamforce conference that Android 4.0, the next major overhaul to Google's mobile OS, will be released in "October or November."

Yesterday, meanwhile, Google sent invitations to see "what's new from Android" at Samsung's Mobile Unpacked show next month. Could this be the official release of Ice Cream Sandwich?