We know that Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb is the version of the platform that will be optimized for larger-screen tablets but there are many questions about if this will be coming to smartphones. The just-released Android 3.0 Honeycomb emulator may reveal a few clues as it has some support for smartphones.
According to Chris Ziegler at Engadget, once you tool around with the Android 3.0 Honeycomb emulator, you’ll find that the default resolution setting is 1280 X 768 – something that’s perfect for a large-screen tablet like the Motorola Xoom. But if you switch the setting to WVGA, the emulator will jump into a slightly different user interface that’s more suited for smartphones.
This isn’t die-hard evidence that Android 3.0 Honeycomb will be coming to smartphones, as Ziegler points out that the default app launcher will crash and doesn’t work. There’s a chance this could just be some sloppy programming too.
One thing is for sure, Google could do a better job letting us and handset makers know what the future of its mobile platform will be. Android 3.0 Honeycomb will definitely be on tablet devices like the Xoom but will it land on something like the Nexus S? What will the future versions of the tablet OS work with?
Other reports suggest that the next mobile version of Android will be called Ice Cream and it is supposed to be 2.4 and land at Mobile World Congress. We have no word on when this version of the platform will be landing.
Google has publicly said that there will be a need to unify all versions of its platforms eventually and it should move to a once-a-year update cycle. Judging by how few people have the latest version of the platform (only 0.4% are on Gingerbread), perhaps a clear update schedule could help more users be on the latest version.
[Via Engadget]