Out with the stale Ice Cream Sandwich and in with the fresh Jelly Bean! Although we haven’t even seen a proper rollout of Android 4.0 ICS, companies are already courting Google to get Jelly Bean in high-priority.

Asus has publicly announced that it wants to be the first company to be offering devices running Android 5.0 Jelly Bean. Speaking with TechRadar, Asus exec Benson Lin said that, considering the close relationship that Asus has with Google, there’s “a high possibility that we [Asus] will be the first wave to offer the Jelly Bean update.”

Queuing outside Google’s door is another Taiwan-based company, HTC.  Only a few days ago, we reported that HTC is sending love signals to Google. You see, HTC is hoping to rekindle the romance they once shared with Google; back in 2010, the Taiwanese powerhouse was the OEM of the first ever Google flagship smartphone, the Nexus One. The competition for the Nexus prize has been pretty rough since then, with the rise of Samsung and LG, not to mention the complications created by Google’s acquisition of Motorola. We’ve all seen how Google had a change of heart before, choosing Samsung for its Nexus S line, also known as Galaxy Nexus. Will Google pivot again?

Speaking of Jelly Bean, details about its arrival are sparse for now, except for some wild rumors that make the rounds of the blogosphere every now and then.  At one point, the successor to ICS was expected to launch in April, while later rumors point to a summer 2012 release. Should we really expect Jelly Bean so soon, considering that ICS was officially rolled out just last November? The answer to this question may be somehow linked to the impending release of Windows 8 tablets, and its critically acclaimed Metro UI.

As for our readers, do you think Google should stick with Samsung for the release of its next flagship smartphone? Do Asus and HTC stand a chance? Let us know your thoughts.

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