When it comes to Google's next mobile operating system, pretty much everything is shrouded in darkness, even the title. Will it simply be dubbed Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, sticking with the current name, or will Key Lime Pie enter the equation, as has been rumored lately? That we still don't know, but new details are starting to leak out.
Monday's source of Key Lime Pie / Android 4.3 Jelly Bean rumors is, surprisingly, HTC. The company used a posting on SFAndroid.org to detail some of the topics to be discussed on May 16, the day after Google I/O's keynote speech, and it may have indirectly given up some info on features we could expect to see in Android Key Lime Pie or Android 4.3.
Specifically, the event listing mentioned Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and OpenGL ES 3.0, which doesn't sound too exciting, until you think about what they could be used for.
As we know by now, Google Glass won't feature a cellular connection, so in order to get access to all those cool features, you'll need to tether the device to your smartphone. Obviously that will drain both your smartphone's battery and Google Glass', so BLE's ability to maintain the connection through much lower energy consumption would enable the glasses to survive much longer than they normally would.
Aside from BLE, though, HTC also mentioned OpenGL ES 3.0. As Android Authority points out, OpenGL is mainly used in video game development, so it could hint at the possibility that Android 4.3 Jelly Bean / Key Lime Pie will offer game creators more tools at their disposal on upcoming software.
It could also reinforce what many thought when Google hired Noah Falstein as its chief game designer: that the company is getting more serious about gaming in general. Google I/O is lined with multiple gaming sessions, too, so it'll be interesting to see exactly how Google approaches the medium, and just what Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, or Key Lime Pie, or whatever it's called, has up its sleeve.
