The Future of Android in 2013
The Mayan Calendar may have renewed a cycle but its predicted date of doomsday has faded away. However, the future of Android lies ahead and the predictions about it apparently happening every day in this age of technology.
Android began its beta stage in November 2007 and then evolved to Android 1.5 giving its first dessert name Cupcake. It supports virtual keys, user dictionary, widgets, video recording and playback of mpeg-4 and 3gp formats, and more basic UIs. Then developments came as the popularity grows as well, evolving Android to 1.6 Donut, 2.0 Éclair, 2.2 Froyo, and 2.3 Gingerbread.
After having stability in mobile phones, Android 3.0 was born to tablet devices which offer exclusive technology and support to such devices. Then recently, the 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and 4.1 Jellybean improved the system and added new features such as Face Recognition. Android supports smartphones, tablet devices, and certain laptop-like devices like the Chromebook.
Here are three predictions of the Android's future in 2013.
First is the Project Glass which is still under research and development program from Google. It is a head-mounted display or HMD with information in smartphone-like format. The device is running the Google's Android OS. The HMD allows user to access certain features from smartphones such as apps, image search, and face recognition. Input sources could be as text, text to speech, audio signal, and possibly more. This prototype device also allows the user to perform image searches, contact look up, editing documents, and sending an email. Maybe after five or ten years it would finally be released. Android will be saying "hi" in hologram mode seen in Star Wars.
Next prediction is the Flexi Smartphones which are currently under research and development at several tech companies - LG, Samsung and Sony. The rationale behind creating flexi phones comes from materials of its display and goals to prevent breakage in situations like being stepped on accidentally or a more common situation which is the unit being sat down on. Various sets of different types of screens will be used by the three companies which will offer flexible, rollable and bendable displays. For now, no flagship unit is sure to carry demos about this breakthrough. Android will benefit greatly is it's the first OS to run flexi phones.
Lastly, is the upcoming new Android version 5.0 Key Lime Pie. The new version is still under development and confirmed by a Google employee that this firmware will be released sometime in May 2013. It is rumoured that LG will be one of the first brands to release a smartphone running Key Lime Pie and Optimus G2 is the suspected device to have it.
And it doesn't stop there, Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie in May, LG Optimus G2 in May, and another Nexus phone is also rumoured to be released on May as well. Certainly, these future events will hit May 2013, unless a real doomsday happens next year.