The real wild card, I suspected, was likely the aforementioned app panels those are made to take advantage of tablets’ expanded screen space and would be tough to duplicate on a smartphone-sized display.įor anyone who keeps up with rumors, this is no huge surprise we’ve been hearing about the possibility of a 2.4 release for some time now. At this month’s Android media event, Google reps told me the specifics were still up in the air but that Honeycomb’s visual elements would almost definitely land on every Android device - tablet or smartphone - at some point in the foreseeable future. It also introduces the ability for apps to split into multiple panes that function side-by-side on your screen.ĭespite its tablet-centric design, Google has dropped several hints that Honeycomb could eventually reach smartphones. Honeycomb brings about major changes to the Android platform, including a new graphical look, a revamped multitasking interface, and improved system notifications. About two weeks ago, Google held a media event in Mountain View at which it spilled more Honeycomb details and provided the first hands-on demos of the Motorola Xoom, the soon-to-be-released inaugural Honeycomb tablet. This sweet software entered our lives last month when Google gave us a sneak peek at the platform. Then there’s Honeycomb, or Android 3.0 - the new version made especially for tablets. (The vast majority of Android phones - about 89 percent, according to Google’s latest estimates - are currently on Android 2.2 or 2.1.) Thus far, it’s officially available only on the Nexus S for the rest of the smartphone pack, the Gingerbread-flavored Android upgrade is still pending. Google took the wraps off of Gingerbread in early December.

First, a quick primer on where things stand right now: Google’s latest smartphone-focused release is Android Gingerbread, also known as Android 2.3.

Google chrome for android gingerbread