Show users what to expect from the OS

Oct 17, 2009 08:44 GMT  ·  By

Google has just started to roll out the Android 1.6 update for the handsets available on the market with its operating system on board, yet the upcoming Android 2.0 (Eclair) version of the platform has already started making the rounds on the web. Some of the goodies that Eclair should come to the market with have been already unveiled, and now we can take a closer look at the upcoming flavor courtesy of a series of leaked screenshots.

These seem to be the first shots of Android 2.0 that made it into the wild, courtesy of BGR. The upcoming platform iteration is set to prove one of the most important updates Google will deliver to its mobile OS, and should include goodies like native Exchange support, native Facebook support, a new Maps application, unified email Inbox, and a series of browser improvements, as well as a redesigned user interface.

Some of the latest reports on the web already suggested that Android was set to become one of the most popular mobile operating systems in the world by 2012, gaining the second position on the market and surpassed only by Symbian, and it seems that Google is already working on making these previsions come true. Adding new functionalities and more user friendliness to the platform is one of the steps it is taking in this direction.

According to BGR, those waiting for Android 2.0 to come to the market should expect to see changes like: built-in Microsoft Exchange compatibility, unified Inbox (it does not feature compatibility with the Gmail email application in Android), Maps with Layers and built-in multi-touch gestures, a redone URL entry bar in the browser, which also comes with zoom in and zoom out through double tapping, a YouTube widget, Car Home, built-in haptic feedback, new built-in functionality for contacts, and 3G functionality for the Amazon MP3 application.

As BGR notes, the shots you can admire below (head here for the entire gallery) only show an interim build of Android 2.0, and there are great chances that some other changes will be performed until the final version is released.

Photo Gallery (6 Images)

Android 2.0 (Eclair)
Android 2.0 (Eclair)Android 2.0 (Eclair)
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