Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich'

As officially announced during the 2011 Google I/O, the upcoming version of Android is called Ice Cream Sandwich, a combination of Gingerbread and Honeycomb into a "cohesive whole". Google is targeting an official release in Q4 2011. Android engineer Mike Claren called it the company’s “most ambitious release to date.” Android 3.2 will be still considered part of Honeycomb and not part of Ice Cream Sandwich. It will be the last major android release prior to Ice Cream Sandwich. [wiki]

Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich'

Gingerbread and Honeycomb UniteThe Google Android market is currently comprised of two major players, Gingerbread and Honeycomb, and Android 4.0 is set to merge the best of those two worlds by bringing the best features of Honeycomb and Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich. If you've fallen in love with Honeycomb and Gingerbread features like sliding widgets, the new task launcher, and the awesome holographic interface, expect to see them and more in the new Android 4.0 operating system.

Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich'

Better MultitaskingIce Cream Sandwich will bring

multitasking to the Android platform like none before it and will not only enhance the apps already featured in the marketplace, but will also make new things possible like the new Virtual Camera Operator that'll automatically detect which person is talking in a multi-video chat and automatically switch to the individual that's talking.

Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich'

One OS to Rule Them AllOne of the current issues with the Android

platform is that it's not unified enough; Gingerbread is made to work on smartphones and Honeycomb works only with tablets. When Ice Cream Sandwich drops in Q4 2011, it'll do so to unify smartphones and tablets once and for all -- and will work on both device types. With one Android OS system to "rule them all", Ice Cream Sandwich will make the Android platform better for users and developers alike.

Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich'

Better Dev SupportAs of right now there are over 200,000 Android apps available in the Android Market and over 100 million Android devices being used all over the world and with that much support for the Android platform, developers can use any help that they can get. In addition to uniting tablets and smartphones -- making developers lives a lot easier - the new Android 4.0 will also work to make Android developers' lives better by providing new tools that'll help them design apps that will work better with multiple device types amongst other things. [source]

Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich'