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Since 2009, Google and the Open Handset Alliance have codenamed each Android release after something sweet. So far, it’s been unbranded and relatively traditional, and we were all expecting a zingy Key Lime Pie for version 4.5. But then Google announced that the next version of Android would be nicknamed ‘KitKat’, which gave us all a big shock. Is this a new era of branded Android?
Here are some of my highlights from what the previous versions have given us.
Cupcake
Cupcake gave us the opportunity to record and watch videos, bumped up the Bluetooth and brought widgets and folders to the home screen. We also got the now essential text-prediction feature, which meant that we (well, most of us) waved goodbye to ‘teh’.
Donut
With improved voice search and overall search experience, Donut gave us more navigational power. We also got higher screen res, which boosted our graphics potential.
Eclair
Version 2.0 saw improvements in user interface, speed and the virtual keyboard. Developers rejoiced at the increased hosting competency for HTML5, as well as the mature camera functions.
Froyo
The multi-lingual keyboard function brought Android to a much wider market. This, coupled with the performance improvements for faster app access, saw Android increase in popularity as a mobile operating service.
Gingerbread
You know the NFC apps that are so popular right now? These were made possible by Gingerbread. With the support to read tags, apps took on a whole new potential.
Honeycomb
We really saw Android maturing with Honeycomb. High performance 2D and 3D graphic support was introduced, as well as a new UI for tablets and multicore processor support.
Ice Cream Sandwich
We welcomed Ice Cream Sandwich’s touch capabilities as well as the resizable widgets and improved email. Moving on from Gingerbread, we also found ourselves with NFC based sharing capabilities as well.
Jelly Bean
We all know the extreme popularity of digital photography apps. They really benefited from the instant review of taken photos with Jelly Bean – and then came the ability to beam photos and videos.
KitKat
Google is staying tight-lipped about the latest updates, but we know it’s going to be ‘an amazing Android experience available for everybody’. What do you expect from KitKat? Let me know in the comments below.
• This blog post is written by Softtalkblog, and is sponsored by the Intel Developer Zone, which helps you to develop, market and sell software and apps for prominent platforms and emerging technologies powered by Intel Architecture
