Android Mobile Awaits Froyo

To date only 43% of Android mobile users have access to the new version 2.2 of the operating system, codenamed Froyo.

The graph above shows that many Android smartphones still operate on version 2.1 with some phones stuck on 1.5 or 1.6. It is based on research by Chitika data analytics.

While users of the iPhone can all upgrade to iOS4, it is at the discretion of Android OS network providers when they will make Froyo available.
For instance Motorolla makes the Droid X and had promised customers that Froyo would be released this month but that does not look likely to happen. It is a bizarre situation considering that the Droid X is supposed to be the flagship Android OS smartphone for Motorolla. It has also sold well since it was released.

Since then Google has shipped Droid 2 with Froyo pre-installed. But the company lags behind Apple which has managed to get 68% of its users onto iOS4. Android mobile may be selling faster than the iPhone 4, but in the war between the two smartphone providers it seems that Apple has given its soldiers more up-to-date equipment.

Android Mobile has Angry Birds in Hand

Android mobile users may be glad to know that the smash hit game for iPhone, Angry Birds, is now available on their OS.
However, you can only download it from the Android market if you have version 2.0 of Android, and even some versions of Froyo are incompatible.
Furthermore the Angry Birds Lite free trial has locked some of the game levels as it has not completed testing. The developers had planned to make a closed test but in the end they bowed to intense public pressure to release Angry Birds.
Rumours are that there are some bugs in the system and CNET has even reported that game will not work at all on the HTC Evo Android mobile handset.
That is bad news for people who are trying to get their hands on one of the bestselling smartphone apps of all time.
Personally I cannot see what all the fuss is about. It's basically just a version of Tetris which involves birds catapulting themselves at pigs . Apparently this is incredibly addictive. It must be getting to grips with the precision needed to angle the catapulting correctly...

Android gets touchy

For the last decade everyone being has been raving about touchscreen technology. Personally I can't see it myself. Touching the screen just leads to it getting smudgy while accuracy is always an issue.
Now researchers have found that there are also security concerns. In fact passwords on your Android smartphones could be at risk because of the fingerprint trail.
Google's Android OS system requires users to swipe for access and this can cause "information leakage."
University of Pennsylvania scientists discovered that: "Oily residues, or smudges, remain on the screen as a side effect of touchscreen technology."
The researchers were able to partly guess the passcode of an Android smartphone 92% of the time and completely guess it 68% of the time. They did so using photo-editing software, lighting and a camera, which are all easily accessible to your average criminal.
Furthermore this is not the only vulnerability that the Android smartphone might have as a result of its touchscreen sign in.
The iPhone does not suffer from the same problem as users lift up their finger between each press.
In response Google said the Android 2.2 Froyo OS will include the option of an alphanumeric password instead of the finger swipe.

Android Updates to 2.2: Best of the Week's News

The blogosphere is abuzz about what Froyo 2.2 will mean for the Android industry. TechRadar.UK reported Vodafone's desire to ready the Android Froyo 2.2 update for the HTC Desire phone. Although the update was released this weekend just gone, it currently only works for unlocked phones which are not tied to a network.
Gareth Beavis wrote: "Given that the new Android 2.2 update promises a real upgrade in functionality to the HTC Desire smartphone, users are understandably anxious [to get their hands on it] as soon as possible."

EuroDroid posted a nifty video demonstrating how clear your video recording can be when using the HTC Desire 720p and Froyo.



The Droided Up blog said that a hacked version of the Evo4G can access Froyo: "We're going Froyo crazy this week. A hacker has gotten hold of an official Froyo with Sense Rom and now it is available for your downloading and flashing pleasures."

Meanwhile Phones Review said that the Froyo update for HTC Evo 4 is set for August 3. It focused on the good news for Android users including Voice dialling over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi hotspotting, improved speed and Flash 10x support with improved browser performance.

Android 2.2 Froyo is coming to the Verizon Motorola Droid next week, says NewsDen blog.

Nexus One Android 2.2 Froyo Update

Below is a really useful video for users of the Nexus One Android smartphone. They can now access the Android 2.2 Froyo, which is the latest software update. Its main advantage is increased speed (5 times faster) over a range of different features including web browsing. It also gives you access to portable Wi-Fi hotspots. Android 2.2 Froyo will also allow certain mobiles to share their Wi-Fi connection with up to eight other devices.
Jealous? Well the Android 2.2 upgrade should be available to other users including the HTC smartphone soon.
An HTC spokesperson said: "We are working hard in conjunction with our partners to update the HTC Sense experience on Froyo and get it to our customers ASAP. We expect to release updates for 2010 models including the Legend, Wildfire and Desire smartphones in the third quarter of 2010."