What Is The Android 2.0 Eclair Update & What Features Does It Include?

Android is the operating system developed to run on mobile devices. It uses the Linux kernel as the basis for the operating system. Android is developed using the open source software model that provides greater capability and interoperability. Android was originally owned by Google but has since been under the development of the Open Handset Alliance.

The Android 2.0 Eclair update is the name given to version 2.0 of the Android operating system update. Some of the previous updates used pastry nomenclature such as Cupcake and Donut to indicate the version of the update and version 2.0 continues this naming scheme. Android 2.0 Eclair added new features and corrected various bugs that occurred with the earlier versions of the software. With smart phones using Android 2.0 poised to compete favorably with the Apple iPhone, the updated features are a welcome addition to the operating system.

New Features in Android 2.0 Eclair

Some of the new features added with the Eclair update are:

• Support for additional screen sizes and resolutions
• New browser User Interface and support for HTML5
• Quick Contact
• New contact lists
• Improvements to the Google Maps 3.1.2
• Microsoft Exchange Support for syncing of e-mail.
• Built in flash support for camera
• Digital Zoom
• Improved Virtual Keyboard
• Bluetooth 2.1 support
• Integrated support for Facebook users
• Additional text-to-speech functions have been added
• New calendar features

Highlights of the Key New Features

The key highlights of the Android 2.0 Eclair update include the following features described in the following paragraphs.

The addition of Microsoft Exchange Support should allow better syncing of e-mail which should be a boon to business users that want to connect with their corporate or enterprise Microsoft Exchange accounts. The Eclair update also provides a more unified approach to accessing multiple e-mail accounts such as Gmail and Yahoo accounts.

The new browser user interface that is part of the Android 2.0 Eclair update adds some much needed features such as a faster browsing experience and the double tap zoom feature. This feature favors comparably to the zoom feature found on the Apple iPhone. The URL bar has been improved with new features added to it that will enhance the browsing experience. Other new browser features include geolocation, display of bookmarked webpages as thumbnails, off line apps support, and client side databases.

The updated virtual keyboard in the Android 2.0 Eclair update offer users some welcomed new features such as support for multi-touch devices, an adaptive dictionary that makes word suggestions based on the user’s word usage and the user’s contact list, and a much more accurate and speedier keyboard layout.

The messaging capabilities in Android 2.0 Eclair have become more robust with updated search features that allow the ability to search through SMS and MMS messages.

Another great feature in Android 2.0 Eclair is the Quick Contact interface. Quick Contact makes it easier for a user to access contacts from any application where contacts are used. When a contact is selected, the Quick Contact interface pulls up a bar that has icons of all communication methods such as text, mail, SMS, phone, etc, that is available for that user. This is a very handy feature that eliminates additional steps to access a contact and allow it be done from the application in use that supports Quick Contact.

The Calendar in the Android 2.0 Eclair update has gained new and improved features, too. The agenda view allows the user to scroll seamlessly through all the events, tasks, reminders, and other information stored in the calendar. Events stored in the calendar have a feature to invite guests and keep the user update on the status of the invitations.

Better integration of the Facebook application makes it much easier to stay in touch with Facebook friends and activities.

These new features in the should make mobile devices that use the Android 2.0 Eclair operating system strong competitors to the Apple iPhone and other smartphone systems.