Android 5.0 Jelly Bean mobile OS may arrive in Spring

Google is pushing a tablet-friendlier version of its mobile operating system Android 5.0 'Jelly Bean' which will be available in the second quarter of the year, according to reports coming from Taiwan.

Rumour-mongers at DigiTimes reported the speculation, citing Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

Even though Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is still in its infancy, the looming release of Windows 8 has supposedly inspired Google to speed up its release schedule. DigiTimes also cites the less-than-stellar adoption of Android 4.0 as an impetus to update but, when you consider that most Android phones don't even have Ice Cream Sandwich yet and that big delays for the upgrade are expected from manufacturers like Motorola, does that come as a surprise?

Whether you're ready or not - or if the rumour is even true - Android 5.0 Jelly Bean promises some really intriguing features.

Chrome integration

Google hasn't tapped into Chrome's full potential yet. In fact, the Chrome OS has been severely hobbled by Google's idiotic focus on netbooks that have turned Chromebooks into novelties to be rented on airplanes. But Android Jelly Bean could change that.

The recent release of Chrome for Android tells me that Google may finally be ready to take Chrome OS seriously. If Android 5.0 Jelly Bean is really going to make Chrome work as a product, it'll port Chrome OS to mobile devices, sync between desktops, tablets, and smartphones, and take full advantage of the Chrome browser's expanding lineup of games and productivity apps. Maybe Google will even lob off the hydra head of Android fragmentation, kill the Android brand completely, and start using Chrome as its marquee style.

Dual-boot Windows 8

Also in DigiTimes' report were hints that Android 5.0 Jelly Bean will come in two flavours: Google and Microsoft. The article said that brand vendors "can either choose to adopt only Android 5.0 or add Android 5.0 to Windows 8 devices with the ability to switch between the two OSes without the need to shut down the computer."

One the most exciting aspects of Windows 8 is its flexibility - that you can jump from tablet to smartphone to game console and back. Adding Google products to the mix makes Microsoft's upcoming revamp of Windows even more insanely thrilling, and may be the very bullet to shatter my iPhone once and for all.