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We saw, and it was good. I’m speaking of Honeycomb, of course, and after getting an extensive look at the tablet-specific version of Android on-stage at Verizon’s keynote at CES 2011, Matias Duarte sat down with Engadget to talk more about what went into its creation and what it’ll allow hardware vendors to do once they make it available to everyone. Here are but a few of the cliffnotes, courtesy of Android Guys:
- He confirmed that Honeycomb is not just a tablet version of Android, but “is absolutely the direction for Android” for all kinds of devices.
- The multi-tasking UI gets an overhaul, with an on-screen button that users tap to bring up a view of recent apps– not just icons and names, but a “visible, tangible representation” of the what the app looks like. While the long-press goes away for this function, it is “still part of Android in terms of interacting and selecting objects.”
- An “application bar” at the top of the screen will show different actions the user can take, changing contextually to expose the most common functions and reduce the need to hunt through menus.
- OEM skins like Sense and Blur are not going away. Honeycomb will be open source like every other release of Android, and he “hopes partners will feel comfortable re-skinning it and adding value. … We want to craft a really solid basic platform for everybody to innovate on top of.”
He also confirmed that Android has surpassed the 300,000 mark in unique activations per day. Full video is embedded below for your viewing pleasure.
Nice
dude with a beard looks like he has never gotten laid…and never will
This is a very good interview for Android fans to watch. Matias seems to get UI design from a user experience instead of just a engineer/programmer’s.
It’ll be interesting watching how the UI changes over these next couple versions.
All good minus the OEM skins. Greatly disappointed that Google continues to allow crapware.
Great stuff, but it’s so annoying that every time Matias really get’s talking about something the interviewer interjects!
Now do you finally believe when you’ve been told countless times that Honeycomb isn’t tablet only?
Skins are all u people complain about. More than likely if ur posting here u know about rooting. Find a phone with specs u like. Then find a Rom that u like. Very simple. Isn’t that the point of Android? Choice.
i never doubted honeycomb wouldn’t be tablet specific. i’m just curious if it’s gonna be watered down for phones or not.
I AM NOT WORRY ABOUT IPHONE COMING TO VERIZON 1 ALL ATT CUSTOMER ARE GONNA SWITCH THAT ABOUT IT…2 ANDROID NEED TO TELL EVERYONE THAT HAS THERE PRODUCT TO UPDATE ON SUCH DATE TIRED OF WAITING!!!!
@5.toots
Agreed, exceedingly vexatious.
@ dvlhmslf
Yes I’ve rooted a phone. My Hero. I gave it to my friend to use, and low and behold Sprint claimed they couldn’t activate it. So now I have to flash Sense back onto it, activate it, and then flash Cyanogen 6.1 back onto it. It’s way too time consuming. IMO Sense, Motor Blur, Touch Wiz are useless.
In an ideal world, we would have the option to install a vanilla version of Android regardless of what phone we purchase. They can’t stop manufacturers from making their own skins, that goes against the whole concept of Android. However, if those skins are crap they shouldn’t be forced on us.
About time, I have posted this video in the Phandroid comments like 6 times since Engadget put it on their site.
@Craigmer He is actually married to Laura June from Engadget.com
@dvlhmslf Me and you know how to root but I guarantee you that 99% of Android users do not, so no rooting is not a real solution to getting a better Android experience.
@Craigmier.
That guy has 2 things you will never have :
1) MORE MONEY
2) CHICKS HE BANGS BECAUSE OF SAID MONEY.
@Craigmier that dude has a regular appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel, he gets as much ass as he wants