The June 27 Google I/O 2012 developer conference is highly anticipated ahead of a probable Jelly Bean unveiling, and possibly a Google Nexus-branded tablet. That's not all, though, so here are the top five reveals Google could make at the 2012 I/O.
Google Nexus Tablet, or 'Nexus 7'
The biggest rumor prior to the I/O has been a wealth of evidence from a "training document" seen by Gizmodo Australia, which claims Google is launching a tablet called "Nexus 7" which will feature a 7-inch screen, 1.3GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, among other specifications. The tablet will apparently be targeted at Amazon's Kindle Fire, which retails for $199: the Nexus 7 will also retail for that price for the 8GB version and $299 for the 16GB version.
Whether the move will take place of a Nexus smartphone - for the past two Android updates, Gingerbread and Honeycomb, Google launched the Google Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus respectively - but it's possible both (a tablet as well as a smartphone) will launch also. Apple had great success with iPhone and iPad integration, but consistent experiences across Android devices is something Google has struggled to create.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Jelly Bean is the next version of Google's Android operating system, and Google all but confirmed the existence of Jelly Bean through a monument of ... jelly beans outside of the company's headquarters.
In terms of features, it's unknown what 4.1 - not 5.0 - will bring. It may bring a greater parity between smartphones and tablets, or could be a minor upgrade if 4.1 is the version number. Ice Cream Sandwich, released earlier in 2012, is version 4.0.
Nexus Phone
As mentioned, Google traditionally rolls out a "Nexus" smartphone to accompany the next major version of Android. Evidence such as the Nexus 7 tablet, and leaks claiming the Galaxy Nexus will be the first device to get Jelly Bean, suggests Google isn't about to undermine the Samsung Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Nexus. However, introducing a phone and tablet running Jelly Bean concurrently would mean that immediate consistency will be available on Android.
Siri Rival
According to The Wall Street Journal, alongside Nexus 7 Google will launch a rival to Siri - Apple's voice recognition technology - similar to Apple's service. Google managed to get Google Voice on the iOS App Store despite an initial rejection, but the new service will probably be more advanced and pitched as a key part of Nexus 7.
Google TV
Google TV, the service allowing users to browse the Web from a television, was considered a failure when it originally launched as it failed to gain traction. Google seems to be making a push with the service - it has around 1000 apps - and will probably aim to convince people that browsing Twitter and/or Facebook while watching Game of Thrones is a good idea.
Google's I/O conference starts June 27 starts at 9:30AM PST/12:30PM EST, or 5:30PM GMT. You can follow the event in the video below:
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