Google confirms Android Ice Cream Sandwich
Thursday, May 12, 2011 - 13:08:18
A new version of Android, given the unwieldy nickname of Ice Cream Sandwich, has been unveiled by search giant Google this week.
The latest iteration of the popular smartphone and tablet operating system is being seen as the first version which will truly unify the Android market, according to TechRadar.
Google's Mike Claren, said at the start of the year that it was working on a platform which would run on all devices, no matter what size or power.
At the moment, Android 2.3 and below are classed as suitable for mobile phones while Android 3.0 is designed for beefier tablets like the Motorola Xoom, which typically have larger displays and more powerful hardware under the bonnet.
A lot of features which are currently exclusive to Android 3.0, also known as Honeycomb, will be making their way to Ice Cream Sandwich. This means smartphone owners will be able to access advances such as excellent multitasking, holographic menus and live widgets from the homescreen.
The good news for app developers is that Google is hoping to consolidate its software creation tools so that they can build programs which work across all Android devices. It is clear that apps will have to operate differently on mobiles and tablets, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.
Kinect-esque movement tracking using a forward facing camera is also being integrated into the next version of Android. This will be used to determine which party is talking when video calls are being made and will no doubt be integrated into some augmenter reality games.
Google has said that Android Ice Cream Sandwich will be available on smartphones and tablets in the final three months of 2011, although quite what kind of tech will be required to power it remains to be seen.
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