Eclair
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Android 2.0 ported to original T-Mobile G1 (video)
Did you hear? Google's got this little OS called Android that has reached the ripe, mature age of 2-point-Oh. With the giant eclair now sitting on Google's front lawn and the SDK out in the wilds, what was poor Akira Harada to do with all that code knowing that the Motorola Droid was still days away from shipping? Port it to the original Android device, the T-Mobile G1 / HTC Dream, naturally. It's a rough port, not even close to being optimized but it should whet your appetites for all those official updates and delicious home-cooked ROMs we expect to be arriving in the hallowed halls of the XDA forums in the days ahead. See it after the break... roll it!
HTC confirmed to be cooking up Android 2.0 update for Hero, other devices unclear
Anyone with an existing Android device and a nasty case of DROID envy today might want to hold off before switching devices, emptying the bank account, and possibly switching carriers in the process, because HTC's got a little bit of information here to end our day on a high note. Here's the full quote: "Yes, we are working on an Eclair update for the HTC Hero. Because Eclair is a significantly enhanced release, it will require some time to update Sense for this new version of the Android OS. Please be patient while we work to provide you with a tightly integrated experience like the one you are already enjoying on your Hero." Bottom line, the Hero is signed up for Android 2.0 and it's just a matter of HTC getting Sense ported and tested -- makes sense (no pun intended), and we imagine Motorola will have to go through these same hoops with BLUR. The company went on to mention that it intends to bring the update to all versions of the Hero, though it's up to partners (like Sprint, for instance) to help coordinate how and when that's going to go down. We don't have any information on the sundry Dream and Magic variants around the world at this point -- but it's important to remember that the Hero uses the same processor as its older siblings, so at least there's hope for a good xda-developers port if nothing else.
Dell Streak is a 5-inch Android 2.0 MID, packs 3G and WiFi (video)
Well, hello there! Those Dell MID rumors we've been hearing have finally received vindication in the form of a nice, picture-heavy leak courtesy of some industrious folks in Vietnam. What we know as of now is that there's an 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen display (with multitouch zooming), WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G WWAN connectivity, all riding atop an Android 2.0 (aka, Donut Eclair) install. A dual-LED flash 5 megapixel camera adorns the back, and there's a 1,300mAh battery to power all that goodness. See pics below and a video awaits after the break, where an old friend of ours plays with the jumbo smartphone. [Via SlashGear; Thanks, Nicky N.] %Gallery-76104%
Motorola Droid stands in for glamorous photo shoot
What a difference two months make. It's was late July when we first saw a render and spy shot of Motorola's "other" Android devices, the Verizon-bound Droid, a.k.a. the Artist Formerly Known as Sholes. Boy Genius Report has been teasing the handset for the better part of the week, and now it's giving us the full monty of the hardware, including its 5 megapixel autofocus camera on the back, and various Eclair-powered screens. Boy Genius himself notes that it's the fastest Android device he's used -- thank goodness for an authentic OMAP3 -- is "slightly" thicker than an iPhone 3GS, runs that Android 2.0 we've been hearing so much about, and includes a desktop cradle that turns the Droid into a glanceable display with weather and the like (sounds like a miniature Hub in a way, doesn't it?). Anyhow, you want all to see the whole show? You know just where to click.
Android 2.0 given a once-over, makes 1.6 look a little dated
Many Android-powered devices around the globe haven't even been granted an official Donut update yet, but 2.0 (Eclair, if you like) is already well on its way to completion, and Boy Genius Report has a rather extensive gallery of shots of the latest and greatest code in action. The biggest disappointment might be that the browser seems to be little more than a minor bump from the one that's shipping in 1.6 -- though it's a boatload faster, which is a start -- and the good news is that pretty much everything throughout the platform appears to have been rethought and refined. The skin looks more modern, new UI elements like graphical balloon-shaped submenus are a welcome touch, and features like integrated Facebook synchronization risk putting MOTOBLUR back on its heels. Look, T-Mobile, we appreciate the quick 1.6 rollout, but can we go ahead and get this pushed out stat while you're at it? Check a shot of the new Contacts pop-up menu after the break.
Giant Android eclair delivered to Google by even bigger nerds (video)
By now you should be familiar with Google's confectionary codenames for its Google Android OS: version 1.5 (Cupcake), 1.6 (Donut), 2.0 (Eclair) and version x.x (Flan). What you probably didn't know is that Google honors each release by dropping a steaming hot foam facsimile onto its front lawn. Historically, the arrival of the giant Donut at the GooglePlex was followed by the 1.6 developer release of Android just a few days later. Don't get too excited though, last we heard Eclair wouldn't arrive until Q2 of 2010 for consumers. Video and another view of the nerds "gone wild" just after the break.[Via TechCrunch]
Android rumor rodeo, starring Sprint's first 4G phone, a delayed Eclair, INQ Mobile's 2010 handset, and more
The gang at Android and Me seemed to have made quite a number of acquaintances on their sojourn through CTIA and MotoDev Summit. Specifically, there were three people along the way they reportedly talked to that led to the most tantalizing of rumors. First down the rabbit hole is a Sprint developer who claimed the first 4G (i.e. WiMAX) phone will be an Android device, which honestly wouldn't be all that shocking given the company's love for and recent history with the OS. Next up is a Samsung exec that intimated we shouldn't expect Android 2.0 "Eclair" until Q2 2010 -- interesting in its own right, but looks like those whispers of Sholes launching with anything beyond Donut isn't gonna come to fruition now. Our third definitive individual is an INQ head employee who let slip its handsets would be finding its way onto a US carrier's network in 2010 and would have a "pimped out" customized Android skin chock full of social networking the likes of Spotify, Skype, Facebook, etc. The rest of its report is much ado about nothing -- no LG android phone this year, no TomTom app this year, and no standalone Google Maps navigation software. Yeah, that's quite a number of Android rumors to digest, and unfortunately nothing definitive. Looking forward to the future? [Via i4u]
Android Market re-imagined for Donut and beyond?
Android's had a generally black-dominated UI theme since its initial launch -- we'd even go so far to say that it's become one of the platform's trademarks -- but is it all about to go away? A tipster to CNET has sent in a couple shots of what appears to be a totally revamped Market that has apparently made appearances both on Donut and on the allegedly Eclair-equipped Motorola Sholes, possibly portending a more wide-reaching interface shift to brighter, more colorful controls and elements. Outside of the facelift there's no word on any actual new functionality here, so... you know, hang onto your G1 for dear life if you're digging the dark Market. [Thanks, z.kalach]
Rubin: Android getting more social features; Donut, Eclair, and Flan all in the oven
You don't have to look far past Palm's Synergy tech for webOS and smaller-scale operations like INQ to understand that social internetworking -- an intelligent aggregation of every corner of your life -- is the wave of the mobile future, and Google's going on record saying that it understands. At a T-Mobile- and Google-sponsored event in San Francisco earlier today, Andy Rubin (you know, the Android dude) discussed upcoming releases in Android's pipeline starting with Donut, which we've already heard mentioned, but then progressing to "Eclair" and "Flan" without mentioning specific timelines. He didn't bust out any comprehensive roadmaps, but he waxed poetic about some of the social-centric possibilities -- for example, being kept abreast of a contact's Facebook photo and latest update every time they call -- and mentioned that developers will soon have additional options for charging for apps (presently, Google Checkout is the only way to handle it, but carrier billing is coming soon).He also reiterated that the hardware pipeline for Android is staggeringly massive, with 15 to 20 phones coming this year alone. One manufacturer actually had the stones to show him eighteen Android-powered devices in a recent meeting -- sounds like a very Samsung-esque thing to do, but whether it's Samsung, HTC, or someone else, we're happy to hear once again that the Magic, Hero, Dream, and Galaxy won't be the only games in town for long.[Via Phone Scoop]
