Our very own OutstandingO spent some time with Android OS 2.2, aka Froyo.  Click through for his thoughts.

This past Thursday at Google’s IO developers’ conference, they announced the launch of a much anticipated OS update: Android OS 2.2, aka Froyo.  Google touted a lot of new changes and innovations for this update that’s scheduled to start rolling out “officially” in the next week via OTA.  We here at Living With a Nerd wanted to give you a quick look at what you can expect in Google’s newest tasty treat.

Speed

The most noticeable change to Android OS 2.2 is its overall performance speed.  The Android team has made improvements to how applications are processed and compiled on 2.2.  Ultimately, this allows apps to run more efficiently, smoother, and faster than previous version of Android.  Even the Chrome browser has been improved upon with a new V8 engine that allows a 3x boost in performance.  Froyo is FAST, like Usain Bolt fast.  Trust me when I say this thing is like night and day compared to 2.1 in regards to performance and speed, and that’s saying a lot given how good Android 2.1 is.  Google says their Chrome mobile browser is the fastest on the market right now.  After seeing their demo and testing it myself, I don’t see how I could dispute the claim.

Flash and HTML 5

Google’s Froyo also touts robust support for HTML 5 and the long anticipated addition of full Flash support in their Chrome browser.  HTML 5 support will now let the browser to use features never before possible on previous versions of the OS.  For instance, you can now access the phone’s accelerometer in web based apps such as Google Maps, which allows the map to turn as you turn or access to the phones camera.  Or, for the social networking types, with HTML 5 support you can pull up sites like Twitter, take a picture while in the site, and post it all at the same time.  Now that’s pretty freaking sweet.  Adding to new toys in Froyo is the fact that 2.2 will be the first mobile OS to have native Flash support; the Chrome Browser will utilize the full Adobe Flash player 10.1 Beta.  So all those Flash enabled sites, games, and videos your iPhone wouldn’t let you have, Froyo serves it to you cold and sweet.  I tested out tv.com by watching a few anime episodes on my Nexus One, and they all played without issue.

Tethering and Wi-Fi Hotspot

The most exciting feature for a lot of would-be Froyo users is the new ability to turn your Android device into a portable hotspot.  This feature will allow you create a Wi-Fi network for up to 8 capable devices using 3G or 4G mobile networks.  During the Google keynote, they demoed tethering by connecting a Nexus One to an iPad without 3G capabilities, which got loud applause and cheers (I pumped my fist from the seat of my office chair as I watched online).

Honorable Mentions

  • Cloud-to-Device Messaging API: This allows users to send commands to their Android device to launch applications, perform certain tasks, and Lord knows what else.  None of this, mind you, was done via an IM, SMS, or email.  All sent straight to the device.
  • 20 New Enterprise Features: Google has added over 20 new features for the corporate sector, including MS Exchange support, forced security policies, and integration with global address books just to name a few.
  • Install or Move Apps to SD Card: With Froyo you can now move large apps to the SD card to get a little breathing room in your internal memory space.  You can even set up your device to do this automatically when your internal space gets a little low.  [Finally, I would have a use for all those 8 gig memory cards I have laying around! –Pojut]
  • Desktop Marketplace: Now you can access the Android marketplace via your desktop (pretty self explanatory, no?)  You can take a look at your device, see what apps you already have installed, and even purchase new apps.  Sexy thing about it is when you purchase a new app via the Marketplace Desktop, it will be automatically pushed and downloaded via 3G/4G to your device without being tethered by USB sync.

Final Impressions

I was completely impressed with Froyo.  The speed enhancements are top notch, and live up to everything Google said they would be.  The addition of Flash is questionable, however…the browser is superfast, but when Flash is in full mode, it makes scrolling and browsing choppy and slow. There is, however, the option to make Flash operate on-demand.  This option will make the browser fast again, and the fact that this version of Flash is still in Beta makes it tolerable.  Tethering worked like a charm for me in my tests, but Google has already said that the option for tethering itself will be left up to each individual carrier; users should expect to see an additional fee for it.

Overall, Android 2.2 lives up to the hype.  Google seems to really be listening to their customer’s demands to bring innovation to the mobile platform.  Froyo is not a final destination for Google, but a checkpoint to other great things to come for the OS/mobile platform.  With word that the Android team is already close to completing Android 2.3, aka Gingerbread, I can’t wait to see what else they’ve cooked up.