Android OS 2.2 On The Way

By Joseph Palenchar On Jun 7 2010 - 4:01am

San Francisco — The next generation of Google’s Android OS will operate faster, turn Android smartphones into mobile WiFi hot spots, support Adobe Flash within the browser, and add new camera/camcorder features, the company announced here during its developers’ conference here.

The upgraded 2.2 OS, codenamed Froyo (for frozen yogurt), also supports voice dialing over Bluetooth, supports Microsoft Exchange for enterprise users, and makes room for more apps by storing them on memory cards.

The OS is already available to app developers, and over-the-air updates to existing Android owners could be available from carriers and handset vendors for select phones in a few weeks, a spokesman said.

Besides turning the handset into a Wi-Fi hot spot that can be shared with up to eight devices, Android 2.2 phones could also be used as a wireless modem when connected to a Windows or Linux laptop via USB cable.

New Bluetooth features include voice dialing over Bluetooth, contact sharing with other phones, and support for Bluetooth-enable car and desk docks.

Improved camera/camcorder features include portrait orientation, access to exposure data, and onscreen buttons to control zoom, flash, white balance, geo-tagging, focus and exposure. A new picture gallery feature will create stacks of pictures. Camcorders will benefit from using an LED flash to take videos in low light or at night.

In other changes, the OS will provide dedicated shortcuts on each of five home-screen panels for phone functions, Web browsing and app launching.