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We’ve heard very little about Android OS 2.0 (a.k.a “Donut”) and even less about future releases (“Eclair” and “Flan”), but apparently plugging into the social element is going to be a big focus, according to Andy Rubin, VP of engineering at Google. They used the example of pulling caller ID photos from Facebook profile pictures (something the Pre and BlackBerry do already), but it’s not a stretch to imagine preloaded Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace clients doing stuff like populating address books and facilitating instant messaging.
Another significant addition will be the inclusion of carrier billing for applications bought in the Android Market, for which the only current payment option is Google Checkout. This way you can pay off your T-Mo bill and app purchases all in one fell swoop. Rubin also confirmed that we’ll be seeing 15-20 new Android phones before the end of the year from just one manufacturer. Hot diggitty.
[via WSJ]
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
