Google put out many a hint earlier this year that they were going to cut back to two Android releases per year, versus the eight they shipped in 16 months previously.
If today's Google I|O keynote is indicative of the scope of Android advancement per release, those will be very large releases.
- Power users have been begging for the ability to install Android applications to the SD card for well over a year. Android 2.2 adds this capability, with a few extra wrinkles like automatic migration of larger apps to SD
- Enterprises have been asking for greater device control, to help make Android a solid candidate for use in large businesses. Android 2.2 allows developers to create “device administrator” applications that can control user behavior – a feature possibly also useful for parental controls.
- Developers have been asking for push notifications from the outset of Android. Android's cloud-to-device APIs make that a reality, allowing a server-side application to trigger actions on devices. Google itself is using this for one-click app and music purchases from an upcoming enhanced Android Market Web site, for example.
- Flash developers have been knocking at Android's door for some time, asking to be let in. The Flash 10.1 public beta and AIR developer pre-release were formally announced as part of the keynote.
- Travelers and commuters have been seeking tethering solutions, sometimes even rooting their phones to achieve it. Android 2.2 not only adds tethering, but portable hot-spot capabilities, so an Android device can provide Internet access for WiFi devices.
Plus there are the performance gains from the new runtime engines for Java and Javascript, the ability for apps to back up their data to the cloud for easy migration to a new device, more Exchange integration, easier Android Market downloads, automatic crash logging (for developers to learn where their apps fail when in users' hands), and so on.
Plus, there was that “preview of coming attractions” known as Google TV, which will ship this fall and will support Android applications — with TV-related APIs — in early 2011.
About the only thing missing was any discussion of tablets or support for any new screen sizes (e.g., VGA).
Developers get access to the new tools right away, though there was no mention of when devices might start seeing Android 2.2.
All in all, Android 2.2 promises to be a very compelling OS upgrade, as soon as it gets out to users.
- About Android Angle
- Mark Murphy is the founder of CommonsWare and the author of The Busy Coder's Guide to Android Development. A three-time entrepreneur, his experience ranges from consulting on open source and collaborative development for the Fortune 500 to application development on just about anything smaller than a mainframe. A polished speaker, Murphy has delivered conference presentations and training sessions on a wide array of topics internationally. Outside of CommonsWare, Murphy has an avid interest in how the Internet will play a role in citizen involvement with politics and government.
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