One of the things many are looking forward to at Google I/O (which is less than a week away at this point) is Google Babel, the unified messaging service that the company is said to be working on to put every single messaging service into a single platform. However, it has been said that Babel is only an internal codename, and now the latest rumor has sprang up the service’s final name – Hangouts.

Yes, Hangouts is apparently what the unified messaging app be called, with even its icon remaining the same as the current Hangouts app except for its color changing from red to green. This rumor comes from The Verge user ryan_socio, who has accurately leaked news about Google’s Nexus announcements in the past. The UI will be completely Holo-based, with a swipe to the right bringing up quick access to all your chats. Messenger, Talk, and Hangouts will be integrated in the beginning, with Google Voice integration coming at a later date.

As for Gmail, which users have long been waiting for an overhaul of, it will be getting that anticipated design change along with Android 4.3, with a card-style layout akin to apps like Google Now or the new Play Store. Hopefully, along with the new look, Google will also add features like a unified inbox, features that are available on the iOS version but not on Google’s own OS.

All of this is just a rumor, but the source has had a good reputation of factual leaks so we can surely expect at least some, if not all, of it to be true. As we get closer and closer to the event, the chances of rumors being true increase as well, so keep your fingers crossed that we get to see Hangouts and the new Gmail at I/O for real, along with other awesome stuff that Google is hopefully preparing for us.

Thoughts?

Via: Phandroid