14 DAY TRIAL // The next flavor of Google's Android operating system is expected to become available on devices in the very near future, with the Internet giant set to showcase it as soon as today at its Google I/O 2010 conference, and it seems that things should move forth pretty soon, as the following flavor of the platform, codenamed Gingerbread, planned for launch in Q4 2010. The release should come as a major upgrade for Android, and reference to the roll-out time frame emerged on the FAQ page for the WebM media project.
We already knew that Google is working on the upcoming Android Gingerbread, yet specific info on when that might happen lacked until now. Whether Android 3.0 or Android 2.x, Gingerbread seems set to arrive on the market before the end of the ongoing year, as the aforementioned the FAQ page reads. In case there are some who are not familiar with what the WebM media project is all about, we should note that it has been unveiled by Google on Wednesday, and that it is a royalty-free media file format aimed at the web, consisting of video streams that have been compressed with the VP8 video codec, along with audio streams compressed with the Vorbis audio codec.
Here's what the said FAQ states: When will other Google products support WebM and VP8? WebM support in Android is expected in the Gingerbread release (currently planned for Q4, 2010). We expect many other Google products to adopt WebM and VP8 as they prioritize it with their other product requirements. Keep an eye on the WebM blog for announcements.
Unfortunately, no other info on the upcoming Android flavor has emerged so far. One thing that has been previously unveiled on Android Gingerbread is that it should bring more unity to the operating system, something that should begin as soon as Android 2.2 (Froyo) arrives. One way or the other, Google will certainly announce more on its plans for the OS flavor after the release of Froyo, so stay tuned to learn additional details on the matter.