07
Feb
12942810851

[Rumor] Android 2.4 Coming Soon To A Smartphone Near You

Posted by in Gingerbread 2.3, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, News

Pocket-lint has been told that the Viewsonic ViewPad 4 smartphone will be the first device with Android 2.4 when it launches in April of this year. Android 2.4 was confirmed over a month ago; however, this rumor lends credence to the fact that the update will not be a major release. Instead, the update will augment Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), allowing dual-core apps specifically designed for Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) to work on single-core devices.

Earlier last week, we heard that Honeycomb was designed exclusively for tablets and not for smartphones, though some of its features will be carried over to smartphones. This appears to be in line with Pocket-lint's rumor today. It suggests that Google intends to create an Android OS (3.0+) specifically for tablets and a completely separate OS (2.0+) for smartphones. The potential fork isn't surprising since tablets and smartphones have very different user interfaces. Indeed, it would be foolish to try to support the vast variety of devices, with their varying UIs and sizes, through a single OS.

Credit: Pocket-lint

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Abhiroop Basu
Abhiroop Basu is an opinionated tech and digital media blogger. As a doe-eyed twenty-something he started his first blog TechComet to comment on anything tech-related that caught his omniscient eye. Since then he has blogged for Android Police, Make Tech Easier, and This Green Machine. In the real world, Abhiroop Basu is a resident of Singapore and the Editor of The Digit, a subsidiary of The Potato Productions Group.

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  • david2tm

    And first Nexus still on Froyo...
    any rumors on when we will get 2.3?

    • Roland.se

      If the rumour is true that there is a 2.4 version in the works, I think thats the reason Nexus One hasnt gotten 2.3. It might get 2.4 directly. If they want to deliver the releases in order and Motorola Zoom (with 3.0) will be for sale 24th of february, then 2.4 would be released to the public in the comming weeks.. Maybe MWC next week?

  • Roland.se

    Some comments;
    1. "Android 2.4 was confirmed over a month ago". I wouldnt call that confirmation, especially when SE has gone out and denied that their device was running 2.4
    2. What is a dualcore app :o?
    3. "Earlier last week, we heard that Honeycomb was designed exclusively for tablets and not for smartphones".. Which Google specifically replied to not being true
    source: http://www.bgr.com/2011/02/03/google-will-not-bring-honeycomb-to-smartphones/
    4. "Indeed, it would be foolish to try to support the vast variety of devices, with their varying UIs and sizes, through a single OS.". I strongly disagree. A OS is much more then the UI. Though I agree that for in example a tablet you should do more then just scale up the UI from a phone UI, but it will still be the same OS and have the same API available.
    5. I do believe that a 2.4 version is a possibility. But I dont see the idea behind maybe releasing 2.4 at MWC and then to have 3.0 released a week later when Zoom hits the shelves at Best Buy (unless Zoom will be postponed). I guess we will see.

  • http://www.ericcamil.com Eric

    Well April is almost over, I don't see 2.4 out yet....