At the Google I/O conference in May, the company previewed the new Android 2.0, Google’s mobile operating system. Major highlights include the new Android search, text-to-speech compatibility and gesture support.
However, this preview has now been made available to developers through Google’s code depository. While still in testing phases and very unstable, developers can take the release for a test drive or even take key 2.0 elements and place them into the stable Android 1.5 build.
Some of the main features in Android 2.0 are:
Android Search: The search engine will allow you to search both your phone and the web through the same browser.
Text-To-Speech: If you have a Google Voice account, you can pretty soon link it to your Android phone as well.
Multi-touch Support: Like Apple’s smart phones, the Android system now allows for users to perform actions by touching the screen in multiple places at the same time, for instance, to reduce the size of an image. This functionality was left out of Android 1.0 since Google was worried about legal issues with Apple, who has pioneered this feature.
Gesture Support: Instead of having to search through the entire contact list to get to the “S” names on your phone, all you will now need to do is write the letter “S” on the screen.
With all these new features still only available in a developer’s release, it might be a smart idea for regular users to wait till the Android 2.0 is released in a slightly more stable form before installing it on their phone.
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