The Android Era: From G1 to Ice Cream Sandwich (and beyond)

By: Jessica Dolcourt September 20, 2011 4:29 PM PDT

Google's first Android phone, the HTC-made T-Mobile G1, wasn't much to look at when it debuted in October 2008, with its trough for a keyboard and its bizarrely jutting chin; but it kicked off an avalanche of Android just the same.

The now-mature Android operating system currently accounts for 48 percent of the global market share, according to research firm Canalys, with a staggering 85 percent slice of the pie in South Korea and 71 percent take in Taiwan. iPhone sales remain strong, but Windows Phone poses only a shadow of a threat.
There are consequences of such a blistering growth spurt, and in Google's case, it's been fragmentation--too many versions of the operating system available at the same time. While most models now host Android 2.2 Froyo and the newer Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), there's also the tablet-specific Android 3.0 (Honeycomb).

Related stories:
• Ice Cream Sandwich First Take
• Is Google rushing to unwrap Ice Cream Sandwich?
• Ice Cream Sandwich details, screenshots leaked
• Ice Cream Sandwich to debut in Oct. or Nov.
• Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Nexus Prime could come in October

Ice Cream Sandwich is set to change all that, conquering fragmentation with its one-size-fits-all solution for Android screens large and small. Always searching for the next treat in its enticing alphabet of releases, tipsters are sharing news of what's to come after the ice cream, even though manufacturers and carriers are still upgrading existing devices to Gingerbread. (More details below the chart.)

It's always good to get a little perspective, and in light of that, here's a look at milestones in Google's Android operating system, from its humble beginnings to its current ambitions in tablet domination.

Android version	SDK release*	Notable updates
1.0 (G1)	February 2008	GPS and Bluetooth (but not stereo Bluetooth) Multitasking Tight integration with Google services like Gmail, Google Maps (with Street View), and Google Calendar Apps: Amazon MP3 Store; YouTube Android Market (about 35 apps at launch) No Microsoft Exchange Server; no camcorder
1.5 (Cupcake)	April 2009	Universal search box (search had been limited to the Web) Revamped Android Market: Browsing categories (Apps, Games, Downloads) and filters (Top Free, Top Paid, Just In) Camera: Toggle between camera and video modes; integrated photo gallery and camera with bulk photo deleting SDK expands support for gestures, voice-to-text
1.6 (Donut)	September 2009	Virtual onscreen keyboard Camcorder mode for recording (and watching) video Stereo Bluetooth Home screen widgets and folders Copy/paste and search within the browser Direct upload to YouTube and Picasa
2.0 (Eclair)	October 2009	Multiple user accounts Exchange support; universal e-mail inbox Quick Contact pop-up widget to launch communications with friends in the address book Search saved SMS and MMS messages Camera improvements include support for flash and digital zoom Bluetooth 2.1 Keyboard improvements: Adaptive dictionary that includes contact names in suggestions
2.1 (Eclair, second helping)	January 2010	Live wallpaper; five home screens Speech-to-text added to any text field; microphone icon for voice dictation in e-mails, texts, and so on
2.2 (Froyo)	May 2010	Speedier OS USB tethering and hot-spot support Android Market update: Batch and automatic updates; installing apps to the SD card Adobe Flash 10.1 File uploading in the browser Improved Microsoft Exchange support: security policies, global address lookup, calendar sync, remote wipe Bluetooth support for voice dialing and contact sharing
2.3 (Gingerbread)	December 2010	Redesigned copy/paste WebM video compression support NFC (near field communication) support Switch to front-facing camera from camera app Virtual keyboard shortcuts
3.0 (Honeycomb)	February 2011	3D graphics support Side-by-side browser tabs; private browsing Dual-pane modes for address book, e-mail Redesigned UI includes program thumbnails Video chatting with Google Talk Full-screen-mode photo gallery Bluetooth tethering
* We list the date of the SDK release rather than the over-the-air (OTA) update timeline since OTA release dates vary by carrier and handset model.

Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0?)
The shift from Android 2.2 Froyo to Android 2.3 Gingerbread was fairly modest, so it makes sense that Ice Cream Sandwich will do heavier lifting. Already, leaked screenshots and details paint a picture of the confection to come--although it's still wise to take these with a grain of salt, since nothing is confirmed and much can change before a design reaches its final stages.

• New interface to unite smartphone and tablet UIs
• Blue themes
• New placement of Google search bar
• Redesigned app launcher
• Redesigned notification bar (shows thumbnail images)
• Richer resizable widgets
• Camera will include panorama mode
• Redesigned Gmail app
• Google Shopper app for NFC
• Facial tracking software
• Google movie rental services

Rumors points to October or November as the OS' launch date, with the Samsung Nexus Prime rumored to be Google's flagship Ice Cream Sandwich device.

Jelly Bean
Just about the only thing we know about the release to follow Ice Cream Sandwich is that it might be called Jelly Bean, and even that remains unconfirmed. The best we get is the tantalizing promise from a third-party's source that Jelly Bean will contain some "game-changing stuff," in addition to features that weren't finished in time for Ice Cream Sandwich. Watch out, Apple. It's getting to be a Google World.

Source: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20012566-251/the-android-era-from-g1-to-ice-cream-sandwich-and-beyond/#ixzz1YZutufAH

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