Our Android Jelly Bean wish list: What we want to see at Google I/O 2012

Google's annual I/O conference is due to kick off soon. That means it's high time for Fandroids the world over to start getting excited about the new features Google is going to pack into the next iteration of its mobile OS.

It's also a time when those same loyal Android devotees have to face the harsh reality that the super-expensive Nexus device they purchased less than 12 months ago is about to become slightly less appealing.

That's because Google I/O often leads up to the launch of a new flagship 'droid device.

In the interests of drumming up anticipation and making our readers even more giddy with excitement, we've compiled a list of the things we want - nay, demand - from the next Android release: Jelly Bean.

Google has already made its excellent Chrome mobile browser available in beta form for those Android users on Ice Cream Sandwich, and the reaction has been pretty positive.

Chrome Beta features a lush interface, tight integration with the desktop version of the browser (including sharing of history, bookmarks, and passwords), and the ability to have a bajillion different tabs open at once. In short, it's one of the best Android browsers out there.

The only real negative is that it doesn't support Flash content, but Adobe has all but given up on mobile Flash, anyway.

It's highly likely that Google will announce the retirement of the default Android browser AND the inclusion of Chrome in Jelly Bean as standard. This is just the first step of a much grander plan, after all - Google chairman Eric Schmidt has already stated that Android and Chrome will one day merge to form a single operating system.

Despite the fact that it's clearly not the most reliable way of interacting with your phone, the idea of having a voice-powered personal assistant has certainly captured the imagination of the general public lately. This is largely down to Apple's Siri, which differs from rivals such as Vlingo and Dragon Go by offering a more natural, conversational exchange.

It's a typical example of Apple taking an existing idea and giving it the kind of spin which makes it a truly mass-market proposition.

However, Google isn't a company that likes sitting back and watching its competitors steal all the glory - especially in areas where it has traditionally done so much hard work. So, it didn't come as much of a shock when news leaked a while back that the guys at Mountain View are working on a Siri beater, which was provisionally named Google Majel.

As any grown man who still lives with their parents will tell you, Majel is the name of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's wife, who famously provided the soothing voice of the Federation Computer in the same long-running TV series.

Apparently, this code name was chosen because Google wants the experience to be akin to interacting with the AI of the Starship Enterprise. Instead of robotically asking your phone to perform actions such as ringing someone or sending a text, then, this handy helper will offer more real-life functionality, presumably in a similar fashion to how Siri currently works.

Majel, now renamed Google Assistant, is not a dead cert for Google I/O 2012. But, given that it builds on Android's established voice control system - which pre-dates Siri, lest we forget - there's still a good chance it will be unveiled as part of Jelly Bean.

When Google recently launched its I/O companion application, Android experts leapt like a pack of frenzied wolves on one of the sample screenshots on the Google Play Store.

It appeared to offer a slightly different UI from the current stock Android 4.0 version - the search bar at the top of the screen (which is part of the OS and not a removable widget, remember) has a slightly different appearance.

While this might not seem like a significant point, it suggests that Google has been nipping and tucking at the Ice Cream Sandwich UI, and that Jelly Bean will offer visual changes over the current version of the OS.

Aside from this revised search bar, expect aesthetic alterations in other areas of the software, most of which will probably revolve around making the whole experience more consistent from a design perspective - a move which began with Android 4.0 and is sure to continue in future versions.

The Nexus 7

Asus has already said that it expects to be the first company to benefit from the Jelly Bean upgrade, and the firm is strongly tipped to be the manufacturer of Google's new low-cost 7-inch tablet - thought to be called the Nexus 7.

There's a lot of evidence pointing to the fact that the Nexus 7 could well be the device on which Jelly Bean makes it debut during Google I/O 2012. Owners of the Galaxy Nexus - Google's current flagship handset - shouldn't have to wait long, because there have been recent hints that it will be the first phone to receive the upgrade (presumably after the Nexus 7 launches).

As for Nexus S owners, you shouldn't hold your breath. The Nexus One was denied an upgrade path to Android 4.0, and if Google intends to release another Nexus phone in 2012, the Nexus S could well find itself in the same undesirable position. Ouch.