Next version of Google’s Android OS discussed at MWC

By on Feb 16, 2011 at 3:33 PM
mobile February 16, 2011

A Google executive on Wednesday shared preliminary details surrounding the company’s next version of its Android operating system. In an interview with Phone Scoop at Mobile World Congress, Google’s Android Engineering Director Dave Burke reiterated that Google’s “I” build of Android will merge features of Honeycomb and Gingerbread in an effort to unify the tablet and smartphone versions of the Android OS. Burke also said this future Android build will likely bring Honeycomb’s “action bar,” which adds customizable functions to individual apps, to smartphones. He noted that the “system bar” at the bottom of the Honeycomb UI would likely not make it to smartphones, though Honeycomb’s overall look and feel with be translated to handsets in some fashion. The next major build of Google’s Android OS is thought to be named “Ice Cream,” but a launch time frame is not currently available.

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  • Anonymous

    Should be great. Can’t wait to see how much the UI changes too. I’m loving the action bar as opposed to press and hold. Also, the app switcher is in dire need of improvements on smartphones. I hate having to press and hold the home button to switch apps. Way too slow and clunky.

  • http://twitter.com/kyralak kyralak

    Ice Cream Sandwich would make more sense.. sandwiching gingerbread with honeycomb.

  • Chut Pata

    After coming with cool names like Froyo Honeycomb etc, Ice Cream sounds uncool. I suggest “Slushie” or “Banana Split”.

    • Chut Pata

      Some other names, “Fruitcake”, “Cheesecake”, “Short Cake”, “Peanut Butter”, “Honey Oats”.

      Names like “Capaccino” and “French Vanilla” should be reserved for a big release though.

      • Anonymous

        I don’t know about Fruit Cake, that’s a version waiting to fail.

      • KCRic

        So… what happens when we get to z? Somebody didn’t think this naming roadmap through.

      • Anonymous

        @KCRic

        That’s when they’ll start adding toppings.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=25001493 Hank Godwin

      It has to start with an ‘I’…

    • Anonymous

      The DROID OS comes up with the best names. Im sure whatever they choose it will be best choice for the consumer and it will continue to be open and free unlike iCrap.

      • Gus

        I think you meant to say “Android OS” not Droid OS.
        Droid is a marketing term licensed from Lucas Arts by Verizon only. It is used to refer to certain phones running the Android operating system.
        Android is the proper term for the operating system from Google.
        The two terms Android and Droid are not interchangeable as they mean different things.

      • Sean

        Norm, please, shut the hell up. I think most people that read the comments are tired of seeing your stupidity.

  • Scott

    Old news. This was posted yesterday on one of those other blogs…

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=25001493 Hank Godwin

      Most other blogs actually. Come on BGR, you’re late.

  • Anonymous

    Yet another Android version the current user base will miss out on.

    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6HpRLyzMY Walter Sobchak

      You are just priceless!

    • KCRic

      Sure, if you only count smasung users as the only ones. People with Droid phones, Nexus phones, HTC phones, and other manufactures get updates and will get updates in the future. As long as the phone is capable of running it. If not, it just gets ported. Btw, how’s it feel having a brain between you ass crack?

  • Andrew

    I hope they don’t get rid of the notification drawer on smart phones I hate the way honeycomb does notifications.

  • look here

    I am truly beyond bored with every announcement of every new android OS and version within that OS. This also extends to every flavor of the month new and different android phone that will be obsolete in 3 months despite the cute names of the OS and the phones. As such, I’m gone from here if this is all we can discuss. It’s trivial. Let’s see if the moderator posts this

    • Anonymous

      This is breaking news. I’m not sure what you are reading into or missing. Every iteration or the DROID OS breaks grounds that other mobile OSes won’t reach for years mainly due to how open and free the DROID OS is.

    • KCRic

      Oh, just like you must be tired of all the announcements about any new Apple phone, iOS update, Apple app, get my point? I bet the run with all the Verizon iPhone announcements put poor you in the hospital. I sent flowers – did you get them?

  • Anonymous

    should be icies instead of ice cream

  • Bringit

    to be named Fragmentation 5.

    • Sonya

      Norm you can’t like this comment, it messes up your consistency of pretending to love Android, I mean “DROID”. Your slipping on your trolling.

  • Jroc869

    The funny thing is I can’t remeber when someone was really excited for an IOS update. So what if there are tons of Android phones that come out one after the other, that is the way electronics work these days. Computers, tv’s, phones are all trying to be the best and it all works out for the consumer in the end. Any high end android phone should last for a year on the specs it was built with. Most people are trading up yearly just ask iphone owners Android owners just have the choice to upgrade their phone whenever they want if they so choose . People don’t have a choice with

  • Trey1606

    Great to have another version. Problem is 95% of people didn’t get to try out the last 2.

    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6HpRLyzMY Walter Sobchak

      Actually 58.4% are on 2.2 and up. So you’re wrong.
      nice attempt at a flame war though

  • Chase Solarz

    How about you get 2.3 out to phones before you start talking about the next one, let alone deal with devices like the Epic stuck on 2. Love you Android, till death do us part, but you gotta get to A before you get all geeked up about B.

    • KCRic

      How about you complain to your carrier and the device manufacturer? Google makes the os and gives it to every phone maker that deals with Android. It’s up to the manufacturer and carrier to get it to you. Besides, you got a samsung – should have known better with their track record.

  • http://twitter.com/Syk0Matik420 Beefy McBigDick

    maybe the next version might actually work. maybe it wont have any bugs, like the text message bug. been a problem since day one, still not fixed. google needs to pull their heads out their asses cuz android sucks balls. not as much as iOS but damn close.

  • Anonymous

    It’s okay that there’s no system bar for phone devices. But they should just standardize the order of the buttons!

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