PCWorld.com reports that Intel has promised it is currently porting Android 4.1, also known as Jelly Bean, to the Atom chip. So far, only a few Android-based smartphones and tablets have that chip inside, and none of them are sold in the US. Intel would not say how long it would take to port Android 4.1 to the Atom chip, nor when the Jelly Bean update will be released to Atom-based devices.

Intel is a big backer of Android, and is mainly putting the OS on smartphones and tablets with its Atom chips code-named Medfield. Intel Inside smartphones carry Medfield chips, and a few tablets have been announced with Medfield. Vizio has announced it would use a Medfield chip in an upcoming 10-inch tablet.

Intel's next-generation Atom chip for tablets, code-named Clover Trail, is being targeted for use only in devices with Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 OS. Intel is not porting Android for Clover Trail tablets, and hopes to expand its presence in the tablet market primarily around Windows 8 and Clover Trail. Microsoft has also announced Windows RT for ARM processors.

ARM is a step ahead of its rival with devices already carrying Android 4.1. But Intel is trying to attract developers to write applications for Android on Atom processors. It is sponsoring a contest where the company will award US$29,000 in cash prizes to attract Android developers to write games for Intel-based tablets and smartphones. As part of the contest, users can test the code in an Android 4.0 emulator.