The first major update for Google’s Android platform, based on the Cupcake development tree, was released today in source form at the project’s git repository. Now it’s up to the OEMs and carriers to deploy it, and the community to port it to other platforms. Dig in for a list of new features.Digg this story
User interface refinements:
* System-wide:
o Refinement of all core UI elements
o Animated window transitions (off by default)
o Accelerometer-based application rotations
* UI polish for:
o In-call experience
o Contacts, Call log, and Favorites
o SMS & MMS
o Browser
o Calendar
o Email
o Camera & Gallery
o Application management
Performance improvements:
* Faster Camera start-up and image capture
* Much faster acquisition of GPS location (powered by SUPL AGPS)
* Smoother page scrolling in Browser
Applications
* Camera & Gallery
o Video recording
o Video playback (MPEG-4 & 3GP formats)
* Browser
o Updated with latest Webkit browser & Squirrelfish Javascript engines
o Copy ‘n paste in browser
o Search within a page
o User-selectable text-encoding
o UI changes include:
+ Unified Go and Search box
+ Tabbed bookmarks/history/most-visited screen
* Contacts
o Shows user picture for Favorites
o Specific date/time stamp for events in call log
o One-touch access to a contact card from call log event
Application framework
* On-screen soft keyboard
o Works in both portrait and landscape orientation
o Support for user installation of 3rd party keyboards
o User dictionary for custom words
* Home screen
o Widgets
+ Bundled home screen widgets include: analog clock, calendar, music player, picture frame, and search
o Live folders
* UI framework
o Framework for easier background/UI thread interaction
o New SlidingDrawer widget
o Horizontal ScrollView widget
* Home Screen framework
o APIs for creating secure home screen widgets
o APIs for populating live folders with custom content
* Media framework
o Raw audio recording and playback APIs
o Interactive MIDI playback engine
o Video recording APIs for developers (3GP format)
o Video and photo sharing Intents
o Media search Intent
* Input Method framework
o Text prediction engine
o Ability to provide downloadable IMEs to users
* Speech recognition framework
o Support for using speech recognition libraries via Intent
* Misc API additions
o LocationManager – Applications can get location change updates via Intent
o WebView – Touch start/end/move/cancel DOM event support
o SensorManager – redesigned sensor APIs
o GLSurfaceView – convenience framework for creating OpenGL applications
o Broadcast Intent for app update install succeeded – for smoother app upgrade experience
System software
* New Linux kernel (version 2.6.27)
* SD card filesystem auto-checking and repair
* SIM Application Toolkit 1.0
Supported hardware
* Bluetooth
o Stereo Bluetooth support (A2DP and AVCRP profiles)
o Auto-pairing
o Improved handsfree experience
Developer tools
* Support for multiple versions of Android in a single SDK installation
* Improved JUnit support in ADT
* Easier application performance profiling
I can’t wait until there’s more android-based phones to choose from. I had the G1 for a while but ended up selling it on ebay. It was heavy and the battery life was terrible.
I don’t know why you got voted down as you simply expressed your opinion on the subject. Anyway, I haven’t played around with Android but I am looking forward to get one as soon as they become available in my area.
Battery life was improved A LOT with RC33 update, and I hope It’ll keep improving in future releases :-).
I cannot wait for that update…
PS: power manager and toggle settings are nice apps which really help save your battery.
I just do not like the currently available hardware.
My HTC Diamond is so much smaller and has better specs, I really hope XDAdevelopers finish their kernel work soon, so that Android will work flawlessly like on other HTC devices.
Can’t wait!
The more devices the better. The new HTC Magic looks promising too. It is much smaller and according to the tests I have read in the press so far, they have improved battery life significantly, I have seen figures like 6h talk time.
However, I think I would miss the real physical keyboard, the small on screen keys are good for making a search on google, but a real keyboard is better if you do things like e-mail or use a ssh client
I used to think this, but I’ve grown to love my G1 despite it’s size and weight.
The QWERTY keyboard is invaluable for me and I much prefer a capacitive touch screen to that of the HTP Diamond.
Even the poor battery life hasn’t been enough to crush my love for the G1.
I do think the G1 is very much the marmite of phones though.
Gee, that’s a nice wooden horse. Where shall we put it?
http://preview.tinyurl.com/y6m7p7
Edited 2009-04-25 12:25 UTC
So the G in Google and G1 stands for Greek?
And we are the Trojans?
PS: It is Open Source, so you can just take the plans and build your own horse 100% without the Greeks inside.
That’s great….
p.s.: kragil, trojans = Hellenes (Greeks)
Android seems to be a very interesting platform for developement and it is open.I must definatly check it out together with the Web OS of Palm Pre. I wonder how these platforms will put up against iPhone and the Windows Mobile?
Anyone having experience of developing for Android?
Here we are almost at the halfway mark of the year, and the only android device we have seen is the G1. I would LOVE to support and get on the Android bandwagon, but thats kinda hard with nothing to use. From the sounds of it, ATT has no plans to give us a NA gsm android phone anytime soon, so we are left to beg HTC for a device, or look for a Gclone coming out of china. Picking are reeally slim right now.
I have been sitting for almost a year with 2 lines off-contract waiting for Android, and i’m getting kinda tired of waiting. I am probably going to end up just grabbing a Bold and looking the other way. Get with the program people and put out some devices!!!
Some new devices are due very soon.
From last check, Samsung, Sony Ericcson and Motorolla were all releasing Android handsets (though some of them may just be rebanded HTC devices).
There’s also a number of smaller companies releasing Android handsets too.
Plus, if you’re not afraid of getting your hands dirty, you could always load Android on your existing HTC device thanks to it’s open source nature and a number of dedicated geeks who ported the software.
Android is progressing quite nicely. I really like the software keyboard but then again I’m running android on my htc touch which has no hardware keyboard. If I wasn’t locked into a two year contract I would most likely have a G1 or HTC Magic. I can say that after using android for a while I dread going back into Windows Mobile. Even on my htc touch android just seems alot smoother and easier on the eyes.