Google has launched the new Nexus series along with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for the Google Galaxy Nexus and the Google Nexus 7. However, Jean-Baptiste Queru, technical lead for the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), announced that the latest Android version will not be made available for the Google Nexus S or the Motorola Xoom.
End of Official Updates: Both the Google Nexus S and Motorola Xoom will remain officially on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and will not receive official Android 4.2 AOSP software updates.
Both devices will remain on Android 4.1.2, following the precedent set by the original Google Nexus One, which was deemed hardware-limited when Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich launched.
While Google has not detailed the specific reasons behind ending official software support for the Xoom and Nexus S, hardware limitations are the likely cause. Both devices have been on the market for over two years, though several users have reported performance slowdowns following the 4.1.2 update. It remains uncertain whether Google will issue a minor maintenance patch or focus entirely on newer devices.
As with previous legacy Nexus hardware, the developer community will likely step in to provide custom ROMs and unofficial Android 4.2 builds for both the Xoom and Nexus S.