So Android 2.2 is out of the box or the I/O developers garage now and the first videos are floating the web about what it can do, looks like and how it performs. Unfortunately most of the posters have limited knowledge about what the update does and hence gadgetgybe will try and sum up the key points for you.

Top 10 takeaways are from Android 2.2:

  1. Adobe Flash 10.0 is finally supported in the Android browser and allows us to stream videos directly from the web. However it’s early days and you are best off testing it on sites which are mobile optimized
  2. Apps get and overhaul and can now be automatically updated (by selecting auto update) and simultaneously updated using a one click option.
  3. Apps developers can further allow their apps to be stored on the SD card rather than just the phone memory
  4. Home screen comes with a triple option for apps, phone and browser, which should make the app shortcuts for phone and browser obsolete and free up more home-screen space (as well as make the available on every screen)
  5. Tethering is enable in the Android 2.2. update, which means that it’s even simpler to use your mobile as a wireless hub for up to 5 other devices around through your data plan. Although tethering was available through an app called PDAnet it worked best via USB connection and only for one device at a time.
  6. Speed Dalvik VM JIT compiler delivering 2-5x the speed than Android 2.1 was able to deliver. It delivers performance of easily above 35 frames per second.
  7. API has cloud to device messaging enable which means that users can push web pages from their laptop to their phone (e.g. send a google maps page via click of a button to your phone
  8. The browser future gets and update with a V8 engine that allows 2-3x faster javascript rendering than previous Android versions
  9. Android Market will further get an upgrade and get its own web platform were you can search, browse and download apps, music and soon videos. This move is a direct challenge to iTunes and it remains to be seen what song will cost and how compatible they are.
  10. Gmail app gets a facelift and supports a much better browsing experience in between emails with next and previous navigation keys.

That’s it 10 neatly packaged updates from the latest Android update. This is not to say that the list is extensive but the main points are covered.

Watch Google’s official Android 2.2 video to get the inside scoop:

Android 2.2 is available since last night on the Google Nexus One and will be rolled out on other smartphones running the Android OS in the coming months. As ever it started in the USA first and will probably come to Europe by July 2010. Nevertheless keep and eye out for the auto updates in your setting, you never know if it might arrive early.

The tethering feature might also not be very popular with mobile operators, so lets hope the features gets rolled out before they are able to put too many restrictions on it.

All in all Android 2.2 is quick fix update that brings us the functionality that been promised to us for a while now, but at least Google didn’t drag their heels with it. Bring it on, can’t wait to switch away from iTunes…

You should also check out the keynote speech from Google’s vice president of engineering Vic Gundotra

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