This weekend just turned into an early Christmas for Android hackers everywhere. Google just dropped an early alpha version of the upcoming major Android update, “Donut”, into the code repository. User Cyanogen of xda-developers was the first to notice the new code lingering, and is already hard at work getting it up and running currently available hardware.
Just from playing with it in the emulator, a number of new features have been uncovered:
- Support for CDMA phones (Hello, Sprint!)
- Text-to-speech
- Loads of new widgets, including one that allows for WiFi/Bluetooth/GPS/Email toggling and Brightness adjustment right from the homescreen.
- Official support for multitouch (This was previously available through hackery – we’re not sure yet if this will be in the final build)
- “Search integrated into everything”
- WPA Enterprise WiFi encryption support
- VPN support
- Automated backups
- “Tons of performance [tweaks]“
Check after the jump for a gallery of the first screenshots to have made their way out – we’ll keep you updated as more goodies get unearthed.
Now if someone would get it working on the n810.
SHIBBY!
Multitouch is gonna be awesome
Hi greg
A couple of neat new features it seems. Look forward to it being rolled out to devices soon.
Though I’d point out that homescreen widgets was a feature of cupcake and our toggle widgets, creatively named wifi toggle widget, Bluetooth toggle widget, gps toggle widget etc have been really popular since launch.
Only real problem we have is end users not realising the difference between apps and widgets and google not automatically recogising widgets as such. Far too complicated to install for most users it seems.
Android 2.0 is not Donut. Read more here http://androidguys.com/?p=6123
Who Said it was?
A lot of people, in fact, if you google Android Donut or Android v2, you can see them used interchangabily. After all, too many names out there causes people to merge concepts.
make it work on my tmobile shadow. just kidding. sort of.
Will they stop naming updates after bakery goods? Not professional…and it makes me hungry.
Katrina – Why would you want to run Android on a non-cell device like the n810? The n810 is beautiful but pointless.
Automated backups – doh, just paid for g-backup. All looks good though.