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Thanks to a slow adoption of Ice Cream Sandwich by phone makers and Microsoft's approaching release of Windows 8 Google has been forced to move ahead its plans to release Android 5.0 aka Jelly Bean. At least that's according to the sometimes right but sometimes not DigiTimes. The report sites Taiwan-based manufacturers as the source of the news and indicates a release in Q2 ahead of Microsoft's new OS in Q3.

The possible release date isn't the most interesting part of this rumour and it highlights some intriguing ways in which the new OS is going to be further adapted for tablets. It's said Google is integrating its Chrome system functions to make dual-booting slates more commonplace. If true then tablet makers will be able to choose between Android 5.0 or Windows 8 with Android 5.0, allowing users to switch between the operating systems without shutting down the device.

Microsoft's adaptation of Windows to work across PCs and tablets could well have the potential clout to make Google consider this. The search engine giant is also supposedly planning to bring Android 5.0 to netbooks and notebooks.

Google I/O is due to run this year from June 27 - 29 and might prove to be the forum for unveiling the new OS. However given that there are so few devices currently running Android 4.0 it seems unlikely that Jelly Bean will get released in Q2, or even Q3.

This week has already seen details leak of when several smartphone makers are releasing their Ice Cream Sandwich updates, a process which looks set set to continue well into the third quarter of 2012.

Its possible release date may be doubtful but if the features mentioned in the report are true then it will be worth waiting for, even if it doesn't land until Q2 2013. With improved dual-booting support it not only makes Android 5.0 sound much more interesting but Windows 8 as well.

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