After much waiting and wondering, Android developers finally got a real response to their gripes about the mobile phone OS's lack of direction: Google released an Android SDK beta update to all developers, not just a chosen few, along with a timeline for future releases. Google says it expects to launch the first Android 1.0-compatible SDK in the third or fourth quarter of this year.
According to a blog post written by Dan Morrill, developer advocate at Google, the new Android 0.9 SDK beta fixes "tons of bugs," and includes a "ton" of user interface changes. It also includes new applications such as an alarm clock, calculator, camera, music player, picture viewer and messaging application.
Morrill says this SDK update is just an interim step toward the new 1.0 software, but it's API-stable, giving developers something meaty to work with. As he says:
"Since this is a beta release, applications developed with it may not quite be compatible with devices running the final Android 1.0. However, the APIs are now pretty stable and we don't expect any major changes. If you're one of the many developers who were waiting for something a bit more mature, this might be a good time to take another look."
While early reviewers gave the new SDK high marks, they did question one confusing change: the new SDK update no longer sports a Bluetooth API. As VentureBeat's Matthaus Krzykowski and Daniel Hartmann note:
"The real bummer seems to be the loss of the Bluetooth API. I know a variety of startups, for example in the voice search segment, who count on Bluetooth headsets in their model. Also, I wonder about business models who want to transfer data seamlessly via Bluetooth. I assume that promoting mobile search is one of Google’s main interests, so it will be interesting to hear the reasoning behind this removal."
Whatever the reason, however, Android developers finally have something concrete to work with. Plus, with the recent FCC go-ahead on the platform, they can now be assured that Android is truly real--and no longer vaporware.
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* Google seeks Android security help
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* FCC approval sets stage for Android launch
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* GraphOn files patent suit against Google
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It is just a toy
Without the Bluetooth API, it is just a toy, nothing more. No serious developer worth their salt (not doing games) will take a look at Android. On the other hand, it makes a great game platform. But I am not writing games. I am make serious business applications. It is too bad that I wasted so much time on the hype for Android.
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