Android and Android Market Not Optimized for Tablets, Google Says

Mountain View-based Internet giant Google said recently that its Android mobile operating system is not yet ready for being pre-loaded on tablet PCs, even if some manufacturers already came to the market with such devices.

According to Google, Android is not being loaded on just any tablet out there, though that might change as soon as the next version of the platform is released on the market.

As previously reported, the company is readying the release of what should be a tablet-optimized version of the mobile operating system, dubbed Android 3.0 or Gingerbread.

Moreover, some of the latest reports also suggested that the OS version to follow Gingerbread, most probably called Honeycomb, would also be optimized for Tablet PCs.

“Android is an open platform. We saw at IFA 2010 all sorts of devices running Android, so it already running on tablets,” said Hugo Barra, director of products for mobile at Google, techradar reports.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is one example in this direction, though it seems that this device is actually a larger Galaxy S, since it includes all the features packed inside this high-end smartphone.

“But the way Android Market works is it's not going to be available on devices that don't allow applications to run correctly.Which devices do, and which don't will be unit specific, but Froyo is not optimized for use on tablets,” Hugo Barra continues.

“We want to make sure that we're going to create a application distribution mechanism for the Android market, to ensure our users have right experience.”

A recent article on moconews notes that Google delivered a Compatibility Test Suite for handset manufacturers, aimed at ensuring that devices landing on the market fit certain criteria.

Being able to run applications available in the Android Market while delivering the optimal experience to uses seems to be one of the main requirements.

“We’re concerned that users will get a good experience at the end of the day. You can have Android Market if it leads to a good implementation. We have to make sure that every device meets the criteria for a good experience for Android Market,” Barra said.