Android 5 release date, news and rumors

Android 5 is going to be exciting, there's no doubt about that. Google saves the change to a new number for the big things, with both Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich making big alterations to the way we use our Android phones.

We thought it would have been Key Lime Pie that showed off the next level, but on 31 October 2013, Google officially revealed its next minor update, Android 4.4 KitKat, which now clears the road for Android 5.

The dessert-themed code name that we assume will begin with L is anyone's guess at this stage. Android 5.0 Lemon Cheesecake or Android 5.0 Lemon Meringue Pie, anyone? Though there's talk that it might be called Android Lollipop or even Android Moonshine, as it's apparently internally known. While the latest leaks point simply to Android L.

It may not be called Android 5 though, with some rumors suggesting the next major iteration from Google's wheel house could arrive as Android 4.5. That would make sense as we've had 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 in recent years.

That said, it appears Google may have just dropped a hint as to the version number of the next iteration of Android. 5.0 is currently looking favorable after the time of "5.00" appeared on screenshots posted on Twitter by the search giant - a signal Google has used before.

Is Android 5.0 next in line? (credit: @Google)

As we wait on official news of that name, we're constantly combing the web to see what's going to be happening with this L-powered update, so check back to see what we've uncovered and the level of likelihood each rumor brings.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next major upgrade for Android, to follow on from Android 4.4
• When is it out? We're thinking mid-2014
• What will it cost? Nothing, it'll be a free upgrade

Android 5.0 release date

Until Android 4.4 was announced we had expected the Android 5.0 release date to be some time in October 2013. We instead saw Android 4.4 KitKat launch on 31 October, so now we're expecting to see Android 5.0 shown off in mid-2014, quite possibly at Google IO, Google's annual two-day developer conference in San Francisco.

That's a year on from when we had originally expected to see Android 5.0, which was at Google IO 2013, which took place from May 15 to May 17 2013.

Sundar Pichai, Google's new head of Android told Wired that 2013's IO was "not a time when we have much in the way of launches of new products or a new operating system"," which makes us wonder when the new software will be coming.

Our take: Android updates are still coming too slowly for our liking, as while each 0.1-numbered upgrade is good, it's not enough to make us want the native experience.

We're expecting Google to make Android 5 rather special indeed, which means it can only wait a maximum of 6-7 months after KitKat was announced to show it off - so mid-2014 has to happen, in our opinion.

More recent reports of Android 4.5 being next in line may put a spanner in the major overhaul thinking, so we're not getting too carried away just yet. In any case Google I/O is set for June 25-26, so with any luck we should know just what Android Lollipop will be bringing to the table soon.

Android 5.0 phones

The first handset to run Android 5 will either be a Nexus phone or tablet, and given the timing of the announcement we think it might be the latter. The Google Nexus 5 launched Android 4.4 at the tail end of next year, and we reckon the Nexus 10 (2014) will appear soon - meaning a tablet launch for the new OS.

HTC looks like the front runner to bring this tablet to the market, so we're thinking that this could happen mid-2014, which puts it firmly on course to be made soon.

We're also hearing a lot of rumblings about a Nexus 8, a slate which will supposedly launch with Android 4.5, so maybe that's the device that Android Lollipop will make its debut on.

Will it be known as a Nexus though? The scheme is under threat from Android Silver, but it doesn't look like that's launching yet, so we reckon the Nexus name will be kept for at least the next round of devices.

Androids out in force at Google IO 2012

Samsung's Android 5.0 upgrades

Although Samsung is yet to officially confirm its Android 5.0 schedule, a SamMobile source is claiming to know which phones and tablets will be getting the upgrade. According to the source, the devices set to receive the upgrade are the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note 8.0 and Galaxy Note 10.1. Do note that this claim was made before Google announced Android 4.4, so if it was ever correct, it's probably a lot less correct now.

As you'd expect, the S4 will be getting an Android update, but to which version?

Android 5.0 features

Android Geeks reported that Google Babble would debut on Android 5.0. Babble was the code name for Google's cross-platform service and app with the aim of unifying its various chat services which include Talk, Hangout, Voice, Messenger, Chat for Google Drive and Chat on Google+.

A screenshot that we were sent from a Google employee on 8 April confirmed that not only was this unified chat service on the way, but that it was called Google Babel not Babble. On 10 May, we discovered that Babel would launch as Google Hangouts, and on 15 May we saw it come to life for devices running Android 2.3 and up. So much for it debuting on Android 5.

We've been fishing for info on Babel

A more recent idea is that Google's next version of Android will have more fitness smarts built in - and this is an idea we think has legs, if you'll pardon the sort-of pun.

Apple is set to go big in this area with the iWatch and iOS 8, and other brands, such as Samsung and LG, are making strides too.

The idea is future versions of Android will allow the software to harness "fitness data from sensors on your Android device."

These could be built into future Android phones and tablets, but it's also likely that the API will play nicely with Android-based smartwatches and even Google Glass.

It also looks like Android 5 may add support for 64-bit processors, as the Nexus 8 is rumored to have one and to be running the new version of Android. That in turn would allow for more than 4GB of RAM in devices, opening the floodgates to enormous increases in power.

Some have speculated that Android 5.0 will be actually Chrome OS, Google's high power operating system for its Chromebooks - that it would use Android for low- to mid-level handsets and put Chrome on the high end.

However, this makes little sense given the effort that would be needed for app integration, so like Microsoft and Windows Phone the mobile OS will very likely continue as is.

A recent image of 'Android L' (which is presumably Android 4.5 / 5) appears to show the browser floating in the middle of the screen, which may mean we'll be getting split screen apps. That would certainly be a useful feature, particularly on larger devices. Samsung and Sony already do this but if the functionality is baked into Android then all devices potentially could.

Android 5.0 interface

While little is known about the potential interface changes for the next iteration of Google's mobile platform, be it Android 5.0 or Android 4.5, a screenshot has appeared online claiming to reveal the upcoming version.

The screenshot shows new icons apparently destined for Android 4.5

There's a clear visual overhaul present in the screenshot, and according to the leak the new design is being referred to as "Moonshine" internally at Google.

We've also caught a glimpse of how the dialer might look in Android 4.5 / Android 5, courtesy of an image leaked by Google itself. It's not in for a radical redesign but if the image is to be believed then it will be going blue, rather than sticking with the current light gray colour.

The next version of Android will be revealed Wednesday

Google IO 2014 kicks off tomorrow and we can expect some exciting announcements from the company's annual developer conference. How big are we talking here? Try the next version of Android big.

In a long form Bloomberg Businessweek profile on Sundar Pichai, the Android chief said he plans to preview the "L" release of Android during the conference's opening day Wednesday.

The move would be a significant shift towards greater transparency; the search giant has classically withheld its annual operating system updates until fall.

In the interview, Pichai said he wants, "the world to understand what [Google is] doing sooner." More importantly, he remarked that manufactures have complained the latest versions of Android have always been revealed too late for device makers to implement.

Up until now, Nexus phones were often the only handsets to get the latest software first. With this year's early preview, we could see the latest versions of Android land on all devices sooner.

Goodbye, Google TV

Alongside an early look at Android "L," Google IO may include an introduction to Android TV. Leaked on April 6, the new entertainment platform will purportedly include Netflix, YouTube, and other video streaming service apps arranged in easy-to-navigate cards similar to the PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL2hvc3RpbmdraXRhLmNvbQ0iIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIiByZWw9Im5vZm9sbG93Ij5BcHBsZSA8L2E+TV set-top box.

To help prevent repeating the same mistakes that plagued Google TV into obsolescence, Pichai has supposedly brought everyone working on the TV software into one team to create a single, consistent experience.

Given the company's recent success with Chromecast, Google should have an easier time attracting content providers. Additionally, it should have a cache of streaming apps that already work with the new entertainment platform.

Don't forget Android Wear

In a brief mention, Pichai said he would announce new manufacturing partners and devices utilizing Google's wearable platform, Android Wear.

Health tracking was on the Android point man's tongue, which means we will likely see fitness trackers and biosensor-equipped wearable computers.

• Google's wearable line up could include the Motorola Moto 360 and LG G Watch

Android 4.4.4 update sneaks out with tightened security

Just a couple of weeks after Google started to push out its Android 4.4.3 update it's already following up with another in the form of Android 4.4.4 KitKat.

Hitting the search giant's Nexus devices first, owners of the Nexus 5 can expect the over the air (OTA) update to land on their devices very soon after XDA forum members noticed the new software.

By the looks of things it's just the Nexus 5 getting the 4.4.4 treatment at the moment and our in-office Nexus 7 is yet to receive the update, so you may need a little patience.

You can expect the 4.4.4 update to also come to the Nexus 4, 7 and 10 in due course.

This is a small software update which doesn't bring any major new features or changes, with a Google employee revealing it mainly contains a few security patches.

• Read our in depth Android 4.4 KitKat review

Via AndroidCentral

Microsoft's Surface Mini does exist - the Surface Pro 3 user manual says so

The Microsoft Surface Mini may have skipped its widely-expected debut at the Surface Pro 3 launch event last month, but at least the elusive tablet found its way into the Pro's user manual.

As discovered by Microsoft blogger Paul Thurrott, there are "Surface Mini references all over" the Surface Pro 3 user guide. Something he describes on Twitter as "hilarious."

A quick look at the manual shows a section reading: "You'll pair your new pen with Surface Mini a little later during setup."

That all-but-confirms Microsoft had planned to launch the smaller device last month, but for some reason decided to scratch the Surface Mini from the event at the last minute.

Waiting for Word?

Since the launch event it has been suggested that Microsoft has up to 20,000 Surface Mini units already gathering dust and biding their time for the touch-first version of Microsoft Office to arrive.

Others reports have suggested the firm may not release the device at all.

One thing this little snippet of information does confirm is that the Surface Mini exists. If or when we'll see it is another matter altogether.

• Keep up to speed with the latest Surface Mini release news.

Via The Verge

Next generation iPad mini to get Touch ID fingerprint sensor tech?

The Apple iPad mini 3 will arrive with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, judging by an image leaked online claiming to show the firm's next generation mobile line-up.

The AppleClub.tw website has published a photo purportedly showing the larger iPhone 6 model alongside what's said to be the iPad Air 2 and the smaller 7.9-inch tablet.

All three have the Touch ID ring sitting within the Home button.

The photo leak comes shortly after Apple revealed that it is opening up the fingerprint sensing technology to third party applications within iOS 8.

iOS 8

PayPal will reportedly be one of the first companies to folding the technology into a forthcoming version of the iOS app.

Apple will probably drop new versions of its tablets shortly before the Christmas rush, by which time iOS 8 will be in the hands of millions of consumers.

• Apple iPad mini 2 with Retina Display review

Via SlashGear

iPad mini 3: What we want to see

Our review of the iPad mini 2, or to stick with Apple's naming strategy, the iPad mini with Retina Display, found it to be a really capable little device.

Somewhat surprisingly it shares most of the cutting edge technology of its bigger brother, the iPad Air, and finally adds the Retina display which it had been lacking so sorely.

But it's not perfect. It's still too expensive, has no Touch ID sensor and the base 16GB capacity is rapidly becoming too small for many users.

So far there's been little in the way of rumors about the iPad mini 3. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst for KGI claims that the iPad mini 3 will come out towards the end of the third quarter and that disappointingly it will have the same form factor as the iPad mini 2, which is thicker than the original iPad mini (athough only by 0.3mm).

In fact it doesn't sound like Kuo thinks the iPad mini 3 will be a big product for Apple at all, as he reckons it will be sold in limited quantities while the iPad mini 2 will remain on sale at a reduced price. This is one occasion where we hope the rumours are wrong, but thankfully that's all they are.

More positively he predicts that the iPad mini 3 will get upgraded to an A8 chip and come with an 8 megapixel camera (up from 5 megapixels on the iPad Mini 2) and Apple's Touch ID fingerprint scanner.

Adding credence to that last rumor, fragments of code from the Biometric Kit included in iOS 7.1 reference the iPad and there's also a couple of images of what is supposedly the iPad mini 3 doing the rounds.

The first is as blurry as early images often seem to be and it was anonymously sent to Nowhereelse.fr, so it's impossible to say how reliable the source is, but it appears to show a Touch ID fingerprint scanner built into the home button.

Though it's also worth noting that this is apparently a prototype of the device, so even if it is legitimate it's possible that Apple could ditch the scanner before it finalizes the hardware. It's safe to say then that all the current rumors are questionable at best and there's still so much that we've heard nothing about yet.

However we can take an educated guess that it will have the same 7.9 inch 1536 x 2048 display as the iPad mini 2 and that it will run iOS 8 on a new Apple A8 processor.

The second leaked shot is clearer and appeared on the web via AppleClub.tw with the posters claiming it not only shows the iPad Mini 3, but also the upcoming iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2.

The iPad Mini 3, Air 2 and iPhone 6? (credit: AppleClub)

It appears that the trio all have the TouchID ring we're now familiar with thanks to the iPhone 5S.

But with so little set in stone, what do we want to see in the next model?

• Read our in-depth iPad mini 2 review

Touch ID

You end up entering passwords just as much on an iPad as you do on an iPhone, so it's surprising that the newest iPads didn't get the same Touch ID fingerprint sensor as the iPhone 5S got.

We'd really like to see these included in the iPad mini 3, not least because they would allow multiuser interaction - just touch to switch to your personal iPad account. Of course Apple would also have to build multi user support into iOS first, and it's arguable they'd rather sell you two iPads instead but the few rumors that have emerged so far suggest Touch ID may in fact be in the works.

• What is Touch ID?

More storage in the base model

16GB of storage in the cheapest iPad used to sound like a lot but now it's really starting to look a bit stingy, with apps like GarageBand and iMovie going free, some iOS games starting to take up over a gigabyte of space and Retina screens making high resolution movies worth loading onto your iPad.

The steep price jumps for the higher capacity models look cynical, especially when flash memory itself is not expensive and Apple offers no way to add storage via card slots. Starting the new models at 32GB would be more reasonable.

Cheaper cellular option

Adding a cellular option to an iPad mini currently adds £100/$130/AU$150 to the price, and of course you have to pay for data on top of that.

Given that the only difference between the innards of a Wi-Fi only and a cellular iPad is the addition of some mass-produced radio circuitry, it would be nice to bring the additional cost premium down a bit so that more people would opt for the cellular option and be able to use their iPads on the move. This is especially true of the supremely portable mini.

Wireless charging

A bit of a pipe dream perhaps, but wireless charging technology already exists and is used by some phone and tablet manufacturers, such as in the Google Nexus 7.

Being able to place your device on a charging slab rather than having to plug it in might sound like only a small timesaver but just think about how many times over the life of a device you have to recharge it.

It also reduces the possibility of wear and tear or damage resulting from physically plugging cables in over and over again.

• iPad mini vs iPad mini 2

Pressure sensitive screen

The addition of the M7 motion co-processor to the iPad mini 2 was somewhat unexpected but will be handy as more apps start to make use of it.

Haptic or pressure sensitive screens already exist, and make for more accurate and flexible interaction with your device, especially for games, music or art apps where you want your finger to do more than just register a touch.

Apple might not think the technology is up to it yet, but this could be one to watch for the future. Current rumors have pointed more overtly to Apple picking up the technology with the view to doing a lot more with it, and, like the iPad Air 2, would allow for better reception of prods from your digits and even that much-fabled iStylus that could do everything but make the tea for you.

What does Google's hardware future look like? Don't ask Tony

Update: Cue the record scratches. It seems Fadell isn't in charge of Google's consumer hardware after all.

"The Information is 100% wrong!" Fadell tweeted following a report from the site that he is essentially the point man on Google's hardware roadmap. "I run Nest as a separate biz w/ its own mgmt & brand."

It's a short yet crisp denial refuting the report. We've asked Google for comment on Fadell's role at the company and will update this story when we hear back.

Even if Fadell isn't heading up Google's consumer hardware, it's hard to imagine he and the Nest team aren't having some influence on the devices Google has cooking. We expect to hear more about these influences at Google IO.

Original article below...

Google is a search and software titan first, hardware maker second. Sure, it's dabbled with phones, tablets and laptops (made in partnership with others, of course).

However, that is all apparently set to change as Google is turns its product-making prowess over to one man in particular.

According to the The Information, Nest CEO Tony Fadell has been appointed head of Google's consumer hardware division, meaning the man who most famously designed Apple's iPod is now in charge of Google's hardware development.

Currently Google only produces two products on its own, namely the Chromebook Pixel and Chromecast, but with Fadell's considerable hardware chops, that could soon change.

Nesting time

Nest famously made high-end thermostats and smoke detectors but thanks to a recent Dropcam acquisition, it may soon add security surveillance to its repertoire of smart home gadgets.

It's very likely Nest and Google are working on a connected home solution, bridging together appliances and devices just as Google has linked users' computers and smartphones through Chrome and Android.

Fadell, meanwhile, comes with the consumer product pedigree of being lead designer of the iPod, one of the world's most popular music playing devices. His success there and with Nest's sharp products seem to square him up nicely designing more Google goods.

Mixed medley

Google has been looking to help push along its hardware more directly, and the hand of Fadell may just be the ticket.

The company is rumored to announce its last line of Nexus devices this year as it moves to a more expansive Android Silver platform.

With the new program in place, Google will have its hand in more than one Nexus smartphone and tablet per ear. Instead it could oversee the production of several devices from multiple manufacturers.

Google has also developed Android Wear, a new platform for wearable devices and smartwatches to connect natively with smartphones. Add in Project Ara's ambitious goals to make modular mobile devices and Google's new hardware portfolio could become very fat within the next couple of years.

• Will Fadell and Google drop a hardware bombshell at Google I/O 2014?

Via The Verge

Samsung Galaxy Tab S: the iPad rival Apple's been dreading?

There seems to be a bit of a lull in the world of tech right now. Don't worry: we don't expect it to last very long, particularly with PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL2hvc3RpbmdraXRhLmNvbQ0iIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIiByZWw9Im5vZm9sbG93Ij5Hb29nbGUgPC9hPg==I/O and the possible appearance of PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+QW5kcm9pZCA8L2E+5.0 on the way. But after the relentless hype leading up to WWDC's PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+aU9TIDwvYT4=8 reveal and the subsequent gaming frenzy that was E3 2014, things seem perceptibly quiet in their wake.

That's not to say that things aren't happening though – far from it, in fact. The biggest talking point on this week's tech PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+bmV3cyA8L2E+agenda is of course the arrival of the Amazon Fire Phone, which has landed to the surprise of precisely nobody and is packing some new-fangled 3D features.

And let's not forget good old Samsung. The company recently unveiled its most high-end PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+dGFibGV0IDwvYT4=ever with the Galaxy Tab S – a device it intends to put directly into competition with the PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+aVBhZCA8L2E+Air. But haven't we heard this same old song before?

Yep, it's that time of the week again. Put the kettle on, then sit back and relax as our experts discuss the week's hottest topics in the wonderful world of tech.

HTC has reportedly built a Google Nexus 9 tablet

HTC has built the next Google Nexus tablet, according to leaked specs and images published this weekend.

Android Police has obtained information about a so-called Nexus 9 tablet codenamed 'Volantis' with an 8.9-inch display with a 2048 x 1440 display.

Interestingly, the spec list details the desktop class NVIDIA Tegra K1 64-bit processor, with 2GB RAM, 0.31-inches thickness and a weight of 418 grams.

Also listed is a zero gap aluminium construction, stereo front-facing speakers, up to 32GB of storage with 8-megapixel and 3-megapixel cameras.

The last Nexus?

An HTC Nexus tablet could be the last given speculation that Google is preparing cash in its chips on the Nexus brand.

Instead, it is thought the company is preparing to launch an Android Silver program to focus on 'pure Android' devices like the Google Play Editions of popular phones, while offering a premium customer experience.

If and when this Nexus 9 will be released is unclear, but the report says a launch at this week's Google I/O conference is unlikely, but it may come before Christmas.

• Android Silver: Everything you need to know

Via The Verge

Mozilla may be working on a Chromecast-style streaming stick

Mozilla is reportedly plotting a Firefox OS-based streaming stick to rival the PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL2hvc3RpbmdraXRhLmNvbQ0iIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIiByZWw9Im5vZm9sbG93Ij5Hb29nbGUgPC9hPg==Chromecast device.

GigaOm brings a hands-on PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+dmlkZW8gPC9hPg==showing the as-yet-unannounced device in action. According to report the stick has no name, no release date and it's unclear which markets it will launch in.

According to the report, the streaming stick, in its current form, is capable of running PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+QW5kcm9pZCA8L2E+and PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+aU9TIDwvYT4=apps will also allow developers to create apps that play nice with Windows Phone, the Amazon Fire platform.

As always with Mozilla, the focus will be on openness, the reporter who has been 'tracking the device' with Mozilla insiders for months said.

No restrictions

In response to the report a Mozilla spokesperson suggested the hardware may not be the company's doing, but that of a third-party using the open source software.

"Firefox OS is an open platform freely available for any company to build on top of without restriction. This means companies can experiment with different form factors that run Firefox OS," a spokesperson said.

Could Mozilla compete with the almighty Chromecast? Let us know your thoughts below.

• Amazon Fire Phone: 8 things you need to know

Via The Verge