Just days ahead of Google's highly-anticipated I/O conference, the tech giant seems to have accidentally offered precious hints regarding its next big Android release. For a short period of time, users who went to purchase an unlocked Galaxy Nexus from the Google Play store were greeted by an intriguing description, touting the device as "the first phone with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean."
Droid Life was the first to spot the exciting Android listing, and took a screenshot before the Jelly Bean description was removed. If this is not just some random blurb we shouldn't read much into, Google has just confirmed what many expected the new update to be called. There are no other details available at this point, however, and the listing has been pulled.
The most likely scenario is that the device listing for Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ in the Google Play store was accidentally pushed, or was part of a cache that appeared earlier than it should have. If someone legitimately spilled the beans with this early leak, chances are the Galaxy Nexus, the latest smartphone from Google, will come with the update right out of the box.
Meanwhile, the product listing describing the Galaxy Nexus as the first phone with Jelly Bean does not rule out the possibility of a Nexus tablet. On the contrary, should this prove to be true, it may add even more credibility to the rumors. Why? Because Google has introduced a new device with every major update of Android since version 2.0 came with the Motorola Droid. If the tech giant is not planning on introducing a new phone, we might just see another tablet.
Still, the release of Android Jelly Bean comes at a rather peculiar time. Samsung's Galaxy S3 just hit the U.S. on Thursday, June 21 (or at least it was supposed to, only a few people got their pre-ordered devices), and HTC's One X is still very recent, just a few months old. If manufacturers intend to upgrade to Jelly Bean, they will need to work might fast. Meanwhile, other companies such as Sony and Motorola are still rolling out the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade, and many phones will likely not even have this upgrade when Jelly Bean comes riding on the Galaxy Nexus. If Jelly Bean is not the easiest version to upgrade to, a lot of companies may find themselves in a rather awkward position.
