Android 2.2 to Include WiFi and USB Tethering

Google seems set to make more enhancements to the user experience the next flavor of its mobile operating system, Android, can offer. The platform version, dubbed Android 2.2 or Froyo, is expected to bring forth a great deal of performance improvements, along with some features that somehow come as a surprise, including WiFi and USB-based tethering.

The Android operating system is already enjoying a great momentum on the market around the world, with recent reports showing that it ended the first quarter of the ongoing year on the second place in the US, and it seems that things are about to get better. Android phone users can already enjoy on their devices features such as pinch to zoom, voice to text translation, or support for enterprise-class email standards, and the next version of the OS seems set to up the ante by including tethering functionality.

Of course, wireless carriers might not see this feature with the same eyes as end users would. However, in case the reports pan out, those who will purchase devices powered by Android 2.2 should be able to share the Internet connection on their phone with a desktop computer or another device, either via a USB cable or via Wi-Fi. In other words, the smartphone would act as a modem, providing additional devices with Internet connectivity.

The info on the tethering capabilities of Froyo came from IntoMobile, which grabbed a screenshot proving that the feature will be included in the OS, and which states the following on the matter: “thanks to a couple screenshots of the upcoming Android 2.2 OS (pictured above), we now know that Froyo will offer the options to tether the phone using a USB cable or to turn any Android phone into a portable WiFi router – like a MiFi Portable Hotspot.”

In case the feature will indeed be included in Android 2.2, rival solutions, such as Apple's iPhone OS, will have a lot to lose. The next version of Google's mobile platform will also offer users the possibility to access a revamped Android Market, which will include automatic app updates, not to mention that it will come with native support for Adobe's Flash Player technology, which means that things are shaping up great for Android fans.