Android 2.2 or 3.0 in Q1 2011?

[zsdersw]

If anyone here has any particular savvy with regards to how fast Android development and releases occur, please weigh in here.

I'd like to get opinions on whether Android 2.2 or 3.0 (or 2.1) will be the version that most high-end Android phones come with out of the box in Q1 2011. This is the time frame in which I will be replacing my Blackberry.

I've already decided on a 4" or larger screen and no physical keyboard. I'm carrier agnostic, though through work I would get 15% off any Verizon plan.

 

[notposting]

I would guess 2.2, 3.0 would be nice and may be finishing up by then but for the actual carriers to have it would be a miracle.

Especially since they all seem to only have 1 engineer who works on converting their custom interfaces on Friday afternoons, and he has amnesia and never remembers what he did the week before. So he really only gets about 15 minutes of actual work done on the conversion. Plus he has to start over whenever he forgets the cover sheet on his...report.

 

[tatteredpotato]

At that time 3.0 may be coming out (like 2.2 is now) however no devices actually ship with the OS yet.

 

[tdawg]

My vote goes to Froyo, as all major manufacturers will be ramped up with Froyo and their individual UIs. Q1 2011 is probably way too soon for Gingerbread to hit most devices, given manufacturer enhancements (Sense, Touchwiz, Motoblur, etc) slow down the releases to consumers. Luckily, those of us with the Nexus One will get Gingerbread first.

 

[boomhower]

At that time 3.0 may be coming out (like 2.2 is now) however no devices actually ship with the OS yet.

This is my thinking as well. Most phones aren't getting 2.2 until late summer or early fall(EVO, Droid X, Incredible, etc.) The first of the year is still going to be 2.2. Of course it will depend a lot on when Google gets 3.0 out. From what they are saying 3.0 is going to have a totally different look to it so it will be interesting to see what the OEM's and carriers do with it. Right now stock Android is pretty fugly, which is why skinning is so popular. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues with 3.0, I imagine it will.

 

[judasmachine]

From what I've heard/read/guessed is that Froyo is the final under the hood update, and Gingerbread is the final cosmetic change, that we will get in the semi-rapid pace we've grown used to. Google has said that future updates will probably be annual instead. One flavor a year, that's all we get from 2011 on.

 

[JimmiG]

It seems actual shipping hardware lags behind by almost one full version. When all devices finally began shipping with 2.1, 2.2 was almost final.

 

[zerocool84]

It seems actual shipping hardware lags behind by almost one full version. When all devices finally began shipping with 2.1, 2.2 was almost final.

It has nothing to do with the hardware lagging, it has everything to do with Google releasing new versions of the OS fast. People complain about it but who doesn't love new versions of their operating system?

 

[tatteredpotato]

It has nothing to do with the hardware lagging, it has everything to do with Google releasing new versions of the OS fast. People complain about it but who doesn't love new versions of their operating system?

I haven't run into a single compatibility issue with Froyo yet, and that's an Alpha version of a cracked ROM (CM6 for EVO).

 

[Soccerman06]

You won't be running gingerbread unless you have an evo equivalent or greater, unless you root, because Google is putting in minimum specs. Most upper end phones will be running 2.2 within the year so assume 2.2 standard requirement by q1 2011 or it probably won't ever be on the phone.

 

[thescreensavers]

^ There are no minimum specs stated yet, that was all false info.

 

[AstroManLuca]

I would guess 2.2, 3.0 would be nice and may be finishing up by then but for the actual carriers to have it would be a miracle.

Especially since they all seem to only have 1 engineer who works on converting their custom interfaces on Friday afternoons, and he has amnesia and never remembers what he did the week before. So he really only gets about 15 minutes of actual work done on the conversion. Plus he has to start over whenever he forgets the cover sheet on his...report.

This.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I would guess 2.2, 3.0 would be nice and may be finishing up by then but for the actual carriers to have it would be a miracle.

Especially since they all seem to only have 1 engineer who works on converting their custom interfaces on Friday afternoons, and he has amnesia and never remembers what he did the week before. So he really only gets about 15 minutes of actual work done on the conversion. Plus he has to start over whenever he forgets the cover sheet on his...report.

LOL, post of the week