Yesterday, at the 2011 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Google showed off what everyone in the Android world has been talking about, HoneyComb. But why do it now just weeks after the release of Gingerbread. The answer to that question is quite simple really, HoneyComb is not for your phone.
This new iteration of Android is built “entirely for tablet” and will first appear on new devices such as the Motorola Xoom Tablet, also unveiled yesterday at CES.
Google says the interface was “designed from the ground up”, and boy can we see it. HoneyComb is filled with tablet optimized features. Gmail, Calendar and other apps and widgets were all conceived with the tablet form factor in mind.
An other interesting design feature, multipaned apps. Taking full advantage of the tablet display size, Google Android HoneyComb will be able to show windows side-by-side, something previously unheard of in tablets. Developers will have the ability to include this feature in the design of their apps.
In addition to interface improvements, this new Android version will feature integrated video chat that utilizes Google Talk. This means you’ll now be able to video chat with your friends who are using Gtalk on their PCs.
There are countless new improvements in the new Honeycomb OS. For instance the Browser gets a serious upgrade, the YouTube app gets an interface-lift and the Google eBooks marketplace gets tablet-optimized. Although Google has said nothing on an official release date, the new tablet OS is expected to launch in this quarter.
