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Android 4.1 (aka Jelly Bean) was announced in the Google I/O event held back in the month of June and it's source code was released to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) in July 9, 2012. Jelly Bean update aimed to improve the performance and look of user interface in android handsets and thus, introduced new features such as touch anticipation, Project Butter, triple buffering, extended vsync timing, etc to create a fluid and buttery-smooth UI. With the release of source code, the development of CyanogenMod 10 started and is progressing at a rapid pace. Soon many high end android smartphones were running unofficial android 4.1.1 on their handsets. Thanks to a xda-developer, TheWhisp, this became possible for Samsung Galaxy Mini or Pop GT-S5570 smartphone as well. So, in this article we'll discuss about the latest release of cyanogenmod 10 custom rom for galaxy mini as well as upgrade your galaxy mini with this latest android operating system.

It appears the close relationship between Asus and Google, as touted by Benson Lin, Corporate VP at Asus, has just gone closer. According to Digitimes, Google is working with Asus to develop a new 7 inch tablet which could be launched as early as May this year.

This nicely ties in with rumours of Q2 2012 launch of Jelly Bean and Asus' assertion that they will be among the first to release Jelly Bean on their devices. Though, according to Slashgear, the device will have ICS — in which case one can expect a quick upgrade to Jelly Bean very soon after launching.

The device is rumoured to be a low cost device targeting iPad and, more importantly, other rivals like Kindle Fire with a price tag of US$199-$249. Google has no control over Amazon, even though Amazon is using a derivative of Android, and in a short period has become the largest Android tablet maker, even though it may be more appropriate to call Kindle Fire an Amazon device rather than a tablet.

The device is also expected to have a 7 inch screen with a high resolution of 1280X800, higher than other low cost tablets.

The new device could also be the first to have the new unified gaming platform, which Google is developing on the lines of the recently launched Play which consolidated content across apps, music, video and books.

It could also be among the first device to get the new Jelly Bean updated.

Why Google choose Asus
According to the sources, Google began looking at Taiwanese co-partners to build a new tablet in end 2011. Presumably Google didn't want Motorola, to avoid sending a negative signal to other device manufacturers, who are already silently worried about Google-Motorola relationship.

Other Android device makers like HTC wanted more control and were also not willing for a low cost device due to the potential damage to their brands.

While Asus lacked in-house research and design capabilities, it was still selected as it was willing to play a second fiddle to Google, allowing it complete freedom in the design process. Acer is believed to be looking at this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Android platform while also making inroads in the US market. 

Asus had sold 1.8 million tablets in 2011 and has projected minimum sales of 3.0 million tablets in 2012. But the company has set a very stiff internal target of 6.0 million units, more than triple the current sales level, which will see it overtake Samsung. It is with this in mind, that Asus seems to be going after a low cost device, when HTC seems to have clearly rejected it.

We had earlier reported that Jelly Bean is rumored to launch in Q2 with an aim to target Windows 8 tablets.

Now, according to TechRadar, Benson Lin, Asus’ Corporate VP, has said that “Asus is very close to Google, so once they have Android 5.0 I think there will be a high possibility that we will be the first wave to offer the Jelly Bean update.”


What the statement implies
For one, the candid admissions means that the next version of Android is indeed code named Jelly Bean and there is some substance to the rumours hinting that Jelly Bean will be launched soon, even if not in 2Q 2012.

Delight for Asus' users
This is good news for users of Asus devices, as they could me amongst the first to taste the new OS. Asus was also the first to release Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) update on Transformer prime.

Android platform
If all these rumours are true, Google is releasing Jelly Bean even before ICS has gain any significant traction. According to an earlier Google data, less than 1% of the Android devices were running on ICS.

This means that, as we had earlier speculated, ICS could be skipped by majority of the Android devices and they could jump straight away to Jelly Bean from Android 2.x/3.x, assuming that the device manufacturer comes out with updates. Though devices will continue getting ICS updates, till there is a formal announcement by Google and also for devices were significant work to update them has been done.

Jelly Bean: Target Windows tablets
The early release of Jelly Bean probably has one major objective — to release a version compatible with Windows, before Windows 8 is launched. Microsoft plans to launch the next generation, metro interface Windows 8 OS before holiday season.

With the release, Google will be hoping that Android+Chrome gain a foothold on x86 based Windows netbooks/tablets. While there may be doubts about the Metro interface for full fledged desktops, Windows 8 could prove to be a success in the tablets market, and this is where Google wants to give the users and option to install Android alongside Windows.

This will significantly increase the reach of Android and give developers further incentives to develop on Android. Google will be hoping that previous Android users will be liking the interface and the apps enough to install them along with Windows, a strategy which might work as there will be no extra cost involved in installing Android. Plus, Windows 8 store could take some time to take off, and Google will like to attack Microsoft in that period.

With this strategy, pure Android tablet sales might suffer, but they haven't been very successful so far, especially when compared with iPad. And in spite of the acquisition of Motorola, Google is a "data" or "information" company and not a hardware company, hence more the users using Android, better is the business opportunity for Google.