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There is no doubt that Gingerbread (what the world has been calling Android 3.0) is well along in its development process — if you don’t believe me, just check out our lengthy post giving just a nibble of info on what to expect — and the latest reports are indicating that Google should be ready to ship the new OS out to its manufacturing partners in December. That is right around where we expected (though previous rumors had suggested October for an unveiling, but as the days pass that is looking more and more unlikely), and just in time for the likes of Motorola, HTC, and Acer to get the new version of Android ready for devices to be debuted at the CES expo in January.
If you recall, Google had come out saying they wouldn’t recommend Android 2.2 for tablets, but 3.0 would have specific functionality and support built-in for slate style devices. The biggest tablet to launch to day, the Galaxy Tab, features Android 2.2 out of the box, but even Samsung is said to be eagerly awaiting the next iteration of Android for distribution to their device.
As for Android 4.0 (whether that will be Honeycomb or Ice Cream), that shouldn’t be expected until the second half of 2011, which fits in perfectly with recent statements by Eric Schmidt explaining that the life cycle of Android updates should settle down to around once a year and contain a bigger focus on innovation rather than simply trying to catch up the platform with the current mobile market.
Doesn’t it make perfect sense now? A platform built from Gingerbread just in time for the holidays.
[via Electronista]
Still no Froyo for my captivate :(
@crystal – root and install it yourself.
Oh the excitement. Hopefully that tablets that show up at CES will not be the typical cheap knock-offs and will be absolutely brilliant. I am starting to think I need to get to this CES, as it has been a while.
They really are planning this nicely
yaaaay.
Now show me some magical hardware, HTC!
Maybe a whole new Sense UI to fit 3.0
“contain a bigger focus on innovation rather than simply trying to catch up the platform with the current mobile market.” Now that is great new. Really would like to see and test out how it improve over Froyo. Holding off on tablet until another year if there is a reason to get one. As of now, have no use for it yet.
Im thinking less and less now that My Nexus will be the first to get 3.0
now where are the screenshots of gingerbread… I know you have them Kevin.. don’t be greedy, release them already!
I believe it was actually Rubin who said the release cycle would eventually slow down to one major update a year, not Dr Schmidt.
i hope my G2 will get this update…
nope, the Nexus One will get it first, everyone else will have to wait a few months, as usual.
I am so hoping I can run this rooted on my Moto Droid. I know the specs for Gingerbread are scary, but I trust my girl will have enough when the time comes.
I have yet to root , but as of now it hasn’t been necessary.
I will always have that option on this phone though. As all phones should.
So Gingerbread in December means my Vibrant will get it around April if it does. No wait a minute Samsung will have a Galaxy S2 coming out with Gingerbread installed before the Vibrant gets updated. Thats one way to force consumers to buy another product already and not even a year after they bought the origional. Its all political.
im sure the next version be just as much hype as the last version with not much substance at all! 2.2 was no big deal on my X, just a lot of hot air!!!
Yay for nexus 1. I love my n1. Best Google phone for 2010
Nexus One definitely rocks!
I hope this isn’t a rushed release to solve problems of tablets. They said these OS updates would slow down to once yearly. How many developers will find that the update will break things? From my experience Google isn’t particularly that great at backward compatibility or letting us know what might now work differently.
Have a feeling we’ll start seeing some sweet new Gingerbread handsets in the wild
@SavageJeep with some mild overclocking it will be fine.
Hopefully AT&T gets a good gingerbread phone by the end of the year
Nexus 1 was so last year, it’s a dinasaur in the smartphone world. Upgrade to a real phone will ya N1 fans! ;)
Nexus one was so last year! It’s like the dinosaur of the cellphone world. Time to move on and up to bigger and better things N1 owners. ;)
will the mytouch be able to run this? i mean in a rom, or will it not be able to handle his at all? it can run froyo great.
@ToastnJam. The Nexus One is so last year that it gets all of the updates first. Nice try, but like the Rangers, Nexus leads the way. NEXT!!!
@ToastnJam you sound like a guy that’s still waiting for 2.2 – lol
The Nexus One is Google’s hardware reference implementation, so it isn’t going away anytime soon. The development and test against and as a result it has always been the first to get any new builds/patches.
So it’s no surprise that it’s practically impossible to take a Nexus One away from their owner, even with the “bigger and better things” that are out there.
Yeah its amazing that Nexus One still gets all the updates. It continues to be an object of desire, for all of us with newer phones but still with 2.1!!
I still think they may surprise us with a Nexus 2!!
I don’t know what it means to “root” a phone, or how or why to do it. My Incredible works great with 2.2. Will it handle 3.0?
They’re talking about 3.0 and I’m still waiting on 2.2! Argh!
Obligatory dig at Telus for not updating the HTC Hero past 1.5.
If it comes out officially for the Incredible then here’s hoping HTC upgrades sense for it.
I have a feeling it won’t be easily ported to any handset. Remember that thing about fragmentation? Well it’s not a myth.
Who are these misinformed souls that think the Nexus One is outdated? A f@#k ton of Android users are rooting their handsets, even the “bigger and better things” out there(with all of the risk/rewards that entails) just to get the performance, funtionality, and pure Android experience Nexus One users have right out of the box, and under warranty! Get a clue will ya!?! There are enough iClone sheeple that comment on this site without your kind taking pot shots at other members whose I.Q.’s are high enough for them to chose an Android device in the first place. Save the venom for the blind Apple cult members, why don’t ya!?!?!
Which version gets the UI overhaul?
I’m so close to saying, “fuck it” and root my Vibrant. I’ve been waiting patiently for 2.2 in hopes that it would fix the MANY issues with the Vibrant. The GPS fix was nice…I’ll give them that at least. It does seem to fix the GPS in most situations. I still haven’t tried it in Navigation mode so I can’t say it’s 100% yet. But really, there are so many lag issues with this damn phone. I mean, it’s fucking ridiculous honestly. I wish I could just wipe all the bloatware, get rid of the stupid TouchWiz bullshit, and customize my phone the way I want. Oh wait, I can. And I think I’m going to very soon.
@comment 21…aaaaaman!