Before we dive into this new report from the WSJ, we urge you to grab a ton of salt. The Wall Street Journal publishes a lot of rumors, much like us, SamMobile, or any other technology site. But this is one that I think could be way off or just partly true.
This evening the WSJ is reporting that Google is working on a smartwatch. Which we’ve reported before. They also say they are working on an Android-powered gaming console, sort of like the OUYA. Which doesn’t really surprise me. Finally, they are reportedly developing a replacement for the Nexus Q, which was dead on arrival last year.
The OUYA finally went on sale this week, and it sold out instantly. So Google might be seeing some traction in making their own version of the OUYA which I’m sure would be awesome. Then there’s the smartwatch. I’m not sure there is a need for a smartwatch. I think it’s one of those gadgets that we just all want. And the Nexus Q replacement. This we’ve been waiting on since the Nexus Q got pulled from Google Play last year. The Nexus Q was a great looking device, it just didn’t really do anything, unfortunately.
Google is also said to be working on the next version of Android, which is reportedly aimed at low-end and mid-range Android devices. To compete with the Firefox OS devices that will be coming out later this year and next year. We’ve heard plenty of rumors about this update, but still no idea when it’ll be announced. But we are pretty sure it’ll be Android 4.3 and not Android 5.0. It’ll also still be Jelly Bean. Google is also reported to be working on expanding Android’s reach. In fact, HP is named as one of the hardware partners that is working on a new laptop that runs the next version of Android. It’s internally known as the “K release”. Which sounds a lot like it’ll be Key Lime Pie. WSJ says that these Android-powered laptops are intended to compete directly with Windows computers.
A big part of this new version of Android is official, Google-sanctioned support for a broader range of devices. This will include the laptops, appliances and wearables. We’ve already seen smartwatches, Google Glass, stoves, refrigerators, microwaves and other appliances running on Android. Even Samsung announced the ATIV Q which is running Windows 8 and Android 4.2.2 – Jelly Bean.
This story is still developing so we’ll be updating this post as more news breaks. So be sure to check back through out the evening.