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Sweet Gingerbread: Android 2.3 Delivers a Better Keyboard and More Gaming

by Terrence O'Brien on December 6, 2010 at 12:50 PM

Android 2.3, Gingerbread
Google is working hard today. Shortly after Google eBooks landed on the scene, word hit that the long awaited Gingerbread (Android 2.3) and Nexus S had also been revealed. The Nexus S from Samsung will be the first device on the market to get access to the new features included in Android 2.3, but you can expect many devices, especially higher profile ones like the Droid 2, Droid X and the Galaxy S series of phones to be updated sooner rather than later. Despite the tiny bump in version number, Android 2.3 is packing some impressive new features and noticeable (although not terribly drastic) visual overhaul. In the looks department, you'll find a new, black status bar and new icons to accompany it, as well as a few other tweaked icons throughout the OS. A number of the rounded edges and some of the gloss have been stripped away, making Android a little darker and more serious looking.

On the software side, the Android crew have focused on a few key things, one of which is gaming. Gingerbread is supposedly the fastest version of Android yet, with a number of new features that will greatly improve game performance in particular. If Android really wants to stay competitive with iOS, improving its gaming is going to be key (and even more so when the rumored Android-based PlayStation phone lands sometime next year). Game developers will also be able to take advantage of new sensors, like gyroscopes, for improving motion control in games.

Gingerbread is also getting a number of new features that expand the platform's communication capabilities. Most notably, support for video calls and VoIP (via SIP) calls are baked into the OS. While there's no confirmation as such, we can only assume this means video chat via Google Talk and VoIP calls using Google Voice will be coming in the very near future. (And if they're not, allow us to voice our disappointment now.) The latest version of Android also includes support for RFID and NFC (near field communication) devices that can be used for things like mobile payments.

A few of the more low-key tweaks are also welcome changes for Android devices. First up is a new keyboard with multi-touch support, which will hopefully put an end to every Android phone having its own custom-designed keypad. Text selection and copy and paste have also been greatly improved, and now allow you to select a word by tapping and holding on it. Lastly, and perhaps most welcome for users toting around high-powered devices like the Evo and Droid X, 2.3 improves Android's power management and will be more aggressive in shutting down background apps that are chewing up CPU cycles.

It's anyone's guess when Android 2.3 might start showing up on devices other than the Nexus S, which is shipping December 16. But if handset makers know what's good for 'em, they'll get those updates out to consumers quick. We can be a rather impatient bunch.

Tags: android, android 2.3, Android2.3, gingerbread, google, os, top

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