The thing about Android OS is that it launched in a sort of half-baked form. The Android OS feature-set wasn’t yet complete, lacking support for homescreen widgets and an on-screen keyboard. T-Mobile G1 users were forced to flip open the QWERTY keyboard for even the simplest of text entries, and were limited to the homescreen widgets that came out of the box. Fortunately, Google changed all that with the Android OS 1.5 update. In addition to the virtual soft-keyboard, Android OS 1.5 features support for “widgets.”
Google recently posted details on just how Android OS 1.5 will work with third-party widgets. Widgets in Android OS will give users a “quick glimpse into full-featured apps, such as showing upcoming calendar events, or viewing details about a song playing in the background.” Users can also interact with an application through the widget – pause music, change tracks, show tomorrow’s calendar schedule, etc. The widget takes up a reserved space on the Android OS homescreen, allowing it to display its info unobstructed.
Android widgets will also support push updates. Developers can push updates on their own time, or they can use the AppWidget framework to push out automatic updates to Android apps and their widgets.
Android OS 1.5 will be an exciting release, and definitely a mobile OS to watch. Sadly, the launch of Android OS 1.5 may be eclipsed by the launch of the Palm Pre, WebOS, the new iPhone and iPhone OS 3.0.
[Google via: EngdagetMobile]