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Android 7.0 Nougat arrives today
Typically, Google releases new versions of Android alongside new Nexus hardware, but the company is breaking with tradition this year. Android 7.0 Nougat is rolling out as an over the air update starting today. The update is available to anyone using the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6 phones as well as the Nexus 9 and Pixel C tablets. It's also coming to the Nexus Player set-top box and the General Mobile 4G Android One smartphone.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow review: All about polish and power
When Android 5.0 Lollipop started hitting devices last November, people could tell. Google's new Material Design aesthetic made sure you wouldn't mistake it for any prior version of the OS, which was great... especially when you consider how confusing parts of it could be. Now that Android's look has been more or less firmed up, Google set about making its operating system smoother, smarter and more battery-friendly. The end result: Android 6.0 Marshmallow. So, how'd they do? Spoiler alert: pretty damned well.
Android 5.0 Lollipop review: Google's biggest mobile update in years
There's something magical about the idea that, in the space of a few minutes, your smartphone or tablet can look dramatically different and do some cool new things, to boot. That's why operating system updates can be oddly exciting, and Android's latest upgrade -- known as version 5.0 or Lollipop -- is the firmware equivalent of opening a stack of presents on your birthday. The upcoming release, which is now available on the Nexus 9 and heading to dozens of mobile devices in the coming months, brings a fresh design and no shortage of new features. Join me as I unwrap Google's latest gift to the wireless community.
Android 4.4 KitKat lets you say 'OK Google' to activate touchless search
"Okay Google." Those Touchless Controls aren't just for the Moto X anymore -- they're now part and parcel of the Nexus 5. With today's unveiling of Google's (terribly leaked) Nexus 5, we're getting a first look at Android 4.4 KitKat on the handset, and that OS update comes with some significant tweaks to Search and Now. For starters, Nexus 5 users will have the ability to set hot keywords as a means of activating or "waking up" Now voice search. So, presumably, this means you'll be able to link any word you'd like to start barking voice commands at Now. Just don't be surprised if Now talks back to you: KitKat also apparently allows for a dialogue of sorts between users and the handset to refine search queries. This could be especially useful when directing Now to access contacts by first name. For example, saying "Text Jennifer" could result in it asking you to specify, "Which Jennifer?" It's smart control made smarter. But that's just the tip of the improvements Google's made to its Now and Search product. Overall, speech recognition is said to have been made 25% more accurate and manual access to Now can be triggered by a swipe to the left (Nexus 5-only, for now) -- no longer a swipe from the bottom of the screen up. Now has also been outfitted with a wider array of "contextual cards." It's yet another step in making Google's digital assistant even more prescient, as it will now display information based on a user's current activity, like Fandango for ticket listings if you're at a theatre, or even updates on a favorite TV show you've searched for previously. And going even further, Google Now will also provide "deep links" to applications you've installed on the handset. In the use case Google provided, this means that a recipe search won't just display link results, but will also ping up the AllRecipes app or even OpenTable, if you're on the hunt for a restaurant. Though all of these Search tweaks are bundled into the Nexus 5 for now, they should soon rollout to other Nexus devices as Android 4.4 KitKat is made more widely available.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean review: a look at what's changed in Google's mobile OS
Google's next iteration of Android wasn't quite the full-point release jump that many of you were perhaps anticipating. Rather than using Google I/O 2012 as the launching pad for Android 5.0, we're being formally introduced to v4.1 -- a mere 0.1 ahead of where Ice Cream Sandwich placed us around six months ago. Aside from grabbing a name change, the minor numerical bump also provides Jelly Bean the opportunity to usher in a few new features for Nexus owners to enjoy. If you missed yesterday's keynote, Google revealed that Android 4.1 would arrive on Nexus devices in "mid-July," but there's no clear word on when partner companies will begin pushing it to their products. Moreover, pundits are quick to point out the legions of Android products that still haven't made the leap to 4.0, leaving us to wonder if those Froyo and Gingerbread laggards will simply take the fast track to 4.1 now that it's (almost) available. Care to see if the latest and greatest will live up to your expectations once it lands in a few weeks? Head on past the break as we discuss some of the larger changes that Jelly Bean has to offer.
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich now official, includes revamped design, enhancements galore
Google has taken the stage in Hong Kong to make the next version of Android OS, nicknamed Ice Cream Sandwich, a thing of reality. Better known as Android 4.0, the update offers a massive redesign to the user interface and adds a plethora of new features. Some of the highlights include an NFC-enabled feature called Android Beam, offline search in Gmail, new lock screen features and a fancy unlocking method called "Face Unlock," which uses facial recognition to ensure strangers can't use your phone without permission. Ice Cream Sandwich also includes enhancements in almost every native app within Android itself. The SDK is already available for Android 4.0, and the update itself will make its first public appearance on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, also unveiled tonight. After the break, we'll cover all of the nitty gritty details, along with some excellent screenshots below. So come along, why won't you? %Gallery-136926% %Gallery-136932%
Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb for tablets: a guided tour of the UI (video)
A funny thing happened after Google posted (and subsequently pulled) its Android 3.0 Honeycomb video: T-Mobile celebrated its G-Slate announcement by posting the same video. And about six more after that (to be fair, they're also on the Motorola / Verizon Xoom we demoed). Today it was made official during Verizon's keynote, with Google itself narrating a hands-on demo. We've scrutinized these videos to no end and we think we've come up with the most complete picture of Google's tablet OS experience at this point. Join us after the break for all the goods. Update: Set aside about 25 minutes and check out our exclusive (and thoroughly awesome) interview with Google's Matias Duarte, the driving force behind Honeycomb interface. %Gallery-112879% %Gallery-112881%
Android 2.3 Gingerbread in pictures
You may not be able to get Android 2.3 loaded in any official capacity on your Nexus One yet -- or any other phone, for that matter -- but Google's 2.3 SDK is now available, which means there's an emulator attached, too. As with most development emulators, this one's a stripped-down subset of the apps and settings you'd see on an actual retail device; basically, all that's left is the bare minimum Google figures its developers are going to need to code apps. Be that as it may, we noticed a few things that stuck out: Overall, the UI changes are extremely subtle, and generally for the better. We prefer the new looks for the status bar, keyboard, and menus over their Froyo equivalents. We couldn't get a sense of the performance improvements -- the emulator is slow as molasses for us and really has zero bearing on how it'll perform on devices. When you reach the end of a scrolled list, the side of the list that has reached the end glows orange briefly, presumably to make it even more obvious that you're at the end. Even the browser does this -- it's an interesting effect that we kind of liked. The miserable default camera UI is exactly the same. Expect manufacturers to continue to replace this with wild abandon. The Gmail app isn't included in the emulator, so fear not when you're looking at the screen shot of the unthreaded messages -- that's the "standard" email app. The fingertip-sized markers for highlighting text work quite well, including in the browser. They seem to consistently disappear after a few seconds and automatically highlight and / or copy the text in between the markers; we're not sold on whether we like that behavior. Clearly, the jury's out until we've got a Nexus S firmly planted in our hands -- but in the meanwhile, check out a bunch of shots of Gingerbread doing its thing in the gallery below. %Gallery-109386%
Android 2.2 Froyo: everything you ever wanted to know
Since its initial launch on the T-Mobile G1 in October of 2008, Google's Android operating system has evolved rapidly -- perhaps more rapidly than any other operating system in recent memory -- to become one of the most important and prolific smartphone platforms in the market today. Its latest incarnation, announced at Google's I/O conference in San Francisco this week, began life as codename "Froyo" (continuing its tradition of naming new versions as desserts in alphabetical order, starting with Cupcake) to officially become Android 2.2. Don't be fooled by the mere 0.1 boost in the version number over 2.1 Eclair, though -- this is a huge upgrade that represents the most user-friendly, compelling, and feature-complete version of the little green guy to date. Read on for our full look!%Gallery-93349% %Gallery-93350%
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.
Android 1.6 update now official for T-Mobile G1 and myTouch 3G
Donuts for everyone! Well, not everyone -- but as we'd heard, at least some G1 and myTouch 3G owners on T-Mobile USA are now being blessed with an official Android 1.6 build over the air. The carrier says it has "begun delivery," which we take means it's not all happening at once; that's the way the 1.5 rollout was handled, so it really doesn't come as a surprise. Keep checking for that update notification, folks. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Android 1.5 coming to T-Mobile UK now, USA next week
And so it's finally confirmed: no consumers on un-hacked T-Mobile G1s in the US have this yet, but Android 1.5 and all its gooey, chocolatey Cupcake goodness will finally be hitting American units come late next week. Of course, you know how Android updates go -- they "roll" -- and not everyone is expected to get hooked up until the end of the month. Meanwhile, British G1 owners are getting updated as we speak -- so you might say they're getting back their American counterparts for launching the hardware afterwards. You know, what goes around, comes around. [Thanks, Shawn and David] Update: The 1.5 update includes Picasa and YouTube uploads (you didn't forget about video capability, did you?) straight from your device, which is pretty cool. Read - T-Mobile USA announcement Read - Android 1.5 now available in UK
HTC's Android-driven Dream revealed in glorious spy photos
Sure, we've seen some blurry videos and managed a few stolen glimpses when Andy Rubin demonstrated this beast, but now we've gotten our hands on a slew of pictures showing off a very real T-Mobile-branded Dream in all its Android-running glory. Not only does this confirm the design spied in those FCC docs as well as show off that nearly-done version of Android, but it seems to confirm the fact that this will be headed to T-Mobile, and sooner rather than later judging from the looks of the above device. Needless to say, our inner-geeks are completely geeking out right now. Hit the gallery below for a handful of other views of the phone. [Warning: read link is a forum, requires registration, and is in Chinese] [Thanks, Michael] %Gallery-30837%
