Google Jan. 11
released the software development kit for Android 2.1, the newfangled operating
system that debuted in the
Google Nexus One smartphone Jan. 5.
This means developers for the Android platform can download
the 2.1 SDK from the
SDK Manager and begin building applications with it.
Google's Android team
described Android 2.1 as a "minor platform release" that includes API
changes and bug fixes.
The platform includes an Android library and system
image, as well as a set of emulator skins and sample applications.
Specifically,
changes in 2.1 include APIs to let programmers write "live" or
animate wallpapers; new class to provide information about the device's current
network signal; new view methods; and changes to the WebKit browser engine underpinning
Android.
For example, Android 2.1 includes new methods to
manipulate Web storage databases; new methods to get geolocation permissions and
set them; new methods to manage settings for application cache, Web storage,
and zooming based on screen density; and new methods for handling video,
browsing history, custom views and app cache limits.
Currently, Android 2.1 is available on the Nexus One, but
some enterprising modders
have patched 2.1 onto the Motorola Droid, the previous dominant Android phone
Verizon Wireless began offering in November.
When Droid owners learned of 2.1 appearing on the Nexus
One, they immediately called for Motorola to add it to the Droid. Motorola
complied,
vowing to add 2.1 for the Droid and the Motorola Cliq soon.
By most accounts, Android 2.1 is faster, though it's
tough to tell from eWEEK's tests of it on the Nexus One.
This is because the
Nexus One
runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz processor, making it hard to tell what
accounts for the smartphone's speed bump over the Droid and other Android
predecessors.
When Motorola does push through the upgrade from
Android 2.0 to 2.1, it should be easier to see the speed improvement.
Application Development News & Reviews 
