With Google positioning Android 3.0, also known as Honeycomb, as a tablet-only operating system, ita4ぎa4г been unclear when similar upgrades will make their way to phones. Today while on stage at the Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona, Googlea4ぎa4г Eric Schmidt shed some light on the matter.
Schmidt said that the next version of Android, which will a4ぎAstart with an I [and] be named after a desserta4ぎ, will combine the current Gingerbread release for phones (Android version 2.3 and 2.4) with Honeycomb for tablets (version 3.0) into a single OS. That means we shouldna4ぎa4д expect to see Honeycomb running on phones anytime soon, and that Ice Cream will be the next major Android update for phones.
Ice Cream, which will likely be labeled Android 3.1, will bring the exciting interface improvements to phones that Google has been showing off for Honeycomb tablets.
Schmidt also said that Android updates are on a a4ぎAsix month cyclea4ぎ &8212' but that doesna4ぎa4д really tell us much. Google launched Android 2.3 Gingerbread in December when it announced the Nexus S, but that update hasna4ぎa4д yet made it to any other devices. Now therea4ぎa4г word that Android 2.4 will take the place of the 2.3 update in April and that it will also be called Gingerbread. Despite whatever cycle Google is working on, Android updates have traditionally taken a while to make their way to consumers &8212' due either to Googlea4ぎa4г own rollout issues or to delays from phone manufacturers and carriers.
The big difference with 2.4 is that it will have support for apps that will eventually run on Honeycomb. Basically, ita4ぎa4г a way for developers to make sure their apps run on Android 3.0 for tablets, and eventually for Ice Cream on phones.
Via Engadget
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Companies: Google
People: Eric Schmidt
Companies: Google
People: Eric Schmidt
Devindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra.
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