Android 5.0 Launch Delay? Don’t Count on It

A new rumor surfaced claiming that Google is planning to delay Android 5.0 by two to four months, a move that means Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie will miss Google I/O in May.

Don’t believe the hype.

Software delays are not impossible, and they are nothing new. Apple is reportedly also facing issues with iOS 7. But if Google plans to delay versions of Android and new features for the reasons claimed in this report users better be happy with Android 4.2.2 because Android 5.0 will never arrive.

A report from Gadgetronica claims internal sources point to an Android 5.0 delay that will miss Google I/O. This delay is not reportedly tied to issues with the software or new features that are not done. The publication says Google is delaying Android 5.0 to allow manufacturers to update devices to Android 4.2 first.

There’s a reason the Android figure in the image above is laughing while eating Key Lime Pie.

While it is true that more than 50% of active Android devices run Android 4.0 or lower and new devices like the HTC One don’t run the latest version of Android it is hardly a reason for Google to slow down plans for Android 5.0.

Every new version of Android arrives with millions of Android devices already a major version of Android behind and millions more a small version of Android behind.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is still on Android 4.1.2, but it could get Android 4.2 in the coming months. The bigger question is if this one year old phone will receive an Android 5.0 update in the U.S. where it uses a slower dual-core processor.

Google already has a plan in place for users that want to get the latest versions of Android right away. The Nexus program sells smartphones which receive the latest versions of Android within days fo the announcement.

For other manufacturers, Google offers the Android PDK. This program includes a number fo tools to make it easier for manufacturers to roll out Android updates in a timely manner. Sony reportedly has access to the Android 5.0 PDK tools, according to a benchmark for a Sony Xperia device.

The Google I/O event is an event where Google announces new software features, new hardware and new versions of Android. This is the reasons developers pay nearly $1,000 to attend the event that sells out in minutes. Google is incredibly unlikely to delay Android 5.0 from a developer event just to let manufacturers get updated to Android 4.2 first.

Read: Android 5.0 – 5 Little Things Google Needs to Fix

It will likely take months for Android 5.0 to arrive on devices like the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4, and we will see Android 4.2 updates roll out to many devices after Google I/O. Android 4.2 is already rumored for the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S3, and it won’t likely arrive in the next three weeks.

With nothing more than a rumor based on sketchy reasoning, we still fully expect an Android 5.0 release at Google I/O.