14 DAY TRIAL // Mountain View-based Google unveiled on Tuesday during a press event two new products that already make enthusiasts rejoice: the Nexus One phone and the Android 2.1 operating system it is running under. We've already covered the Nexus One launch details, and those who might have missed them can find all the needed details here, and now it's high time we said a few words on the new flavor of the mobile platform too.
First of all, it should be mentioned that, during the press event, it has been said that the Android 2.1 iteration is not Flan, but an update of Eclair, and that it will come to older handsets too. Peter Chou, CEO of HTC, who was present at the event, confirmed the fact that some of the company's already available Android devices will receive the update to the new platform version: “We are expecting some of our existing models to upgrade to 2.1, but we're working on that.”
Motorola's Sanjay Jha, who was also present at the event, said that DROID might receive the new firmware version as well, though he hasn't provided any additional details at the moment: “I think we will upgrade Droid to the software available on Nexus One.” According to Engadget, which covered the event live, the Android 2.1 will be available for all handsets: “Everybody will get that software once it's open source, and that'll be in a couple of days.”
However, we'll still have to hear it officially from each manufacturer before we can say that it is coming to a certain phone or not. The main impediment here seems to be the large amount of 3D features that Android 2.1 is packed up with. Basically, this feature is something that older handsets, with lower hardware resources, won't be able to support, and vendors will have to test their devices before saying it comes or not.
When it referring to the features that Android 2.1 will sport, Google mentions the following: - Google Maps Navigation: offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output. - Email: multiple Gmail accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support. - Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook. - Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications. - Android Market: access to more than 18,000 applications.
One other feature that Android will be getting in the near future, and which has been demonstrated on Nexus One, is Google Earth, with spinning, zooming in, voice search and more. In addition, the voice support has been included in almost all aspects of the platform. One can type text messages or fill all text fields without touching the soft keyboard. And there is also the 3D feature, along with dynamic, animated backgrounds, some new widgets, and other more, all of which will soon be on their way to more handsets out there.
