-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Android Thread - 2011 Edition | Stuffed on Gingerbread, Hungry for Honeycomb!
- Thread starter Pctx
- Start date
- Status
cartoon_soldier
Member
I read that it was announced for Q1 (specifically Late Jan/Early Feb) in Canada. With the online presence it has on AT&T and Motorola site, I would think Q1.
Jamesfrom818
Banned
Bad_Boy said:
I think Matias Duarte mentioned February in his Engadget interview.
ep85 said:
Cosign. I've been using ISyncr for months and love it.
Futureman said:
According to the ISyncr website, Android doesn't support ID3 v2.4 tags. That could be the cause of the tag mixups.
Bad_Boy said:
That April date came from a head Motorola guy in Latin America so he may have been quoting the release date for Latin America. US could still be Feb/March.
Kinda sucks that all T-mobile really doesnt have anything awesome in the pipeline. My Nexus One is really starting to show it age and the touchscreen is getting on my last nerve. I wonder if the Atrix will work on Tmo hspa+ though?
Also, what is the timeframe for HTC getting Dual Core phones out? Are they waiting on Qualcomm to roll them out? Are they that attached to them that they wouldnt just use a Tegra 2?
Also, what is the timeframe for HTC getting Dual Core phones out? Are they waiting on Qualcomm to roll them out? Are they that attached to them that they wouldnt just use a Tegra 2?
alternade said:
1) no it wont work on tmobile 3g or above
2) seems like they are waiting on qualcomm which is 2H of this year last i heard
my nexus one is running fine for the most part, the only time i feel compelled to get a new phone is when i have a rash of touch screen fuckups where i want to snap my phone in half. HTC can lick my balls
alternade said:
I thought dual core Qualcomms would not be out for use at least until mid year with phones coming out no sooner than fall/winter. It was posted a few pages back by someone in a roadmap.
I think by Xmas we should have a nice competition between the two types of dualcores.
I am curious whether Iphone 4g/5 this summer will be dual core or not.
cartoon_soldier
Member
Atrix Ad aired during Baltimore-Kansas game.
Can't be too far away from launch.
Can't be too far away from launch.
Randy Lanzarote
Member
Futureman said:
I'm not sure, but there is an XDA app to browse the forums, if that's any help.
Mercury Fred
Banned
Anyone else considering dumping Android over the bungled Gingerbread roll out?
I'm a huge fan of the OS, and have loved my N1, but the way Google is handling the update is making me want to jump ship for a Verizon iPhone...
I'm a huge fan of the OS, and have loved my N1, but the way Google is handling the update is making me want to jump ship for a Verizon iPhone...
voodoojohn
Banned
As a fellow N1 owner, I'm pretty damn pissed as well. I initially thought we'd be getting updates simultaneously with the NS, then I grudgingly accepted being a half step behind, and now I'm dreading the day another Gingerbread phone is released and we still haven't gotten the OTA.Mercury Fred said:
jonnybryce
Member
Mercury Fred said:
It's not safe to say this here.
But yes. Considering. For plenty of reasons; iOS has improved and eliminated many of my complaints (such as multitasking), Gingerbread disappointed, Google doesn't seem to care to improve Android's UI or core apps, skins are getting worse, etc. The selection is amazing, sure, but when my bookmarks are still placed in a random order with no folders or the music app is still pretty bad and incomprehensible in it's behavior it makes it easy to consider jumping ship. The fact that Google's improvements - such as copy and paste- are so terribly implemented doesn't offer much confidence. On one hand I can do cool stuff like sync iTunes over WiFi but on the other hand I have to find replacement apps and settle to do things Google refuses to do themselves. I've jumped around from OS to OS and carrier to carrier and have decided to stay with Verizon. I have no loyalty to an OS, I just want the best experience. I'm not really feeling satisfied lately with my Droid and don't see the future being any different.
Bottom line is I'm buying a new phone soon and I want a phone with a front cam to see friends and family that have moved away since we're in different time zones (making Skype PC difficult to schedule). I'm not sure what direction I'm going to go in.
There is little I'm super excited about in gingerbread so I don't care as much. But why are you so upset? How are they bungling it? If a regular phone releases before the n1 gets gingerbread then I'll be pissed, but at this point phones coming out in the next month or so look to all be froyo.
Mercury Fred
Banned
I thought the whole point of the Nexus line was to get pure Android with fast updates direct from Google.gcubed said:
And what we're seeing with the N1 and Gingerbread is that Google really has no plan and no idea what it's doing as far as timing goes. Messaging about the OTA update has been vague, contradictory, off, and sometimes just a flat out lie.
It's not only annoying to be left in limbo with the N1 but to be left wondering if the phone will be treated more and more like Google's red-headed step-child. I don't feel particularly confident that Google will continue supporting the N1 for any amount of time. I truly would not be surprised if we never get Gingerbread.
Mercury Fred said:
THIS! I bought the N1 with the expectation that it was a direct line to Google for updates, OTAs, beta testing, base development platform etc. So far this phone has been somewhat of a disaster. Sub-par components, lack of retail presence, mismanaged OTA rollouts. Google uses the shield of OPENNESS for their lack of a proper ecosystem to support the phone. We should have had a desktop client with media and contact syncing with Froyo! No one is expecting the next Itunes but it pisses me off when they gloat about how great it is that there is so many options when none of them are that great. I just want them to take a leader ship position and set the trend.
tfur
Member
Mercury Fred said:
No. I am pissed off as well, and would like to know the real reason for the delay. It seems none of the tech web sites are able to do investigative reporting.
Personally, for me, I have to pretty much stay with Android. The multi tasking, notifications, gtalk, maps, navigation. custom keyboards, local file and podcast downloading, extensive media file type support, more than 1 button, flash support etc are only properly functional on Android.
I bought a 32g 3g ipad recently, and it solidified the fact that iOS is just too limited. It is rather staggering how limited it is, after coming from Android. I got it for my 18 month old daughter and wife. The interface is perfect for a toddler, and I actually recommended an iphone4 for my mother. I really do like our ipad, and the interface does scroll very slickly back and forth, but I will be getting an Android tablet when the new ones come out.
I spent 2 weekends with Windows Phone 7. It is actually has alright interface, but it really does feel like it was released about a year too soon. It has a weak browser, no gtalk/IM, poor battery life, low performance benchmarks, limited apps, no multitasking etc. My mother ended up getting the Samsung Win7 phone over my iphone4 recommendation. She liked the feel of the UI, and it is her first smart phone. I told her that as long as she liked it, and was happy, it's the right phone.
I am going to stick it out for a bit longer with my N1, and see where these tegra2 dual cores plus new network technologies go. When the right, new Android phone with Honeycomb comes along, I will grab it.
Now you are getting silly. Gingerbread will make it to the n1, yes the communication around has been flat out horrific, inconsistent and plain wrong, but gingerbread will make it on the n1. It has been trying with this release.Mercury Fred said:
This is nothing of the hardware issues, which for me is only the touch screen, but it thoroughly annoys me, but I blame htc on that and the reason why I want nothing to do with them for a while
Mercury Fred
Banned
I think Gingerbread will make to N1 (by early Summer or so) but it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't. That's all I'm saying.gcubed said:
Even if Google is bungling the OTA update a bit, I don't think it's a huge deal (though I am not a Nexus One owner). They tweeted very recently that it is coming. I think it's safe to say that you will see it on the Nexus One before any other phone.
Can't wait to see Honeycomb on phones. Google I/O is May 10-11 this year, so I bet we see the unveil there, probably be called Ice Cream 3.x, and then see a new Nexus model in the Fall with the debut of 3.x.
Can't wait to see Honeycomb on phones. Google I/O is May 10-11 this year, so I bet we see the unveil there, probably be called Ice Cream 3.x, and then see a new Nexus model in the Fall with the debut of 3.x.
GoldenEye 007
Member
The official N1 OTA feet dragging is annoying for sure. But Android is good in general... running rooted 2.3.1 Gingerbread on my N1 now. Feels good man.
I'd have to wait for a root release to upgrade to the GB anyway, so I'm not too bothered by the lack of official release.
Edit: And no way Gingerbread takes until early summer to get a N1 release. All statements and reports I've seen said a "few weeks" as of about 2 weeks ago.
I'd have to wait for a root release to upgrade to the GB anyway, so I'm not too bothered by the lack of official release.
Edit: And no way Gingerbread takes until early summer to get a N1 release. All statements and reports I've seen said a "few weeks" as of about 2 weeks ago.
Mercury Fred
Banned
Agree that Nexus S is a big disappointment (although I like T-Mobile myself), but Google needs some consistency and much, much better customer service. Otherwise, I think people will abandon Android for better options (I'm extremely curious to see what happens with the iPhone going to other carriers).gcubed said:
Mercury Fred
Banned
But that's not the issue for lots of people.gcubed said:
jonnybryce
Member
MNC said:I know it's gonna be difficult but can someone recap what's 'wrong' with Gingerbread?I'm currently looking around for some Android phones and am wondering if I should just jump in now or wait or whatever.
If you're interested in Android or really want to jump in I recommend it. It's a great os that allows more power to the user on tons of great hardware. It all depends on what you value. If you like to tinker with things and make your phone yours, if you prefer a certain carrier or manufacturer, keyboard, etc than it's great OS. If you just want to compare OSes it's a solid option but doesn't win any awards for usability.
There aren't any "problems" with Gingerbread itself, it's the best version of Android yet. For people who have been aboard the Android train for a while the issues are more with what it doesn't do. It was supposed to/rumored to be a UI upgrade as anyone with eyes knows Android is a bit ugly and inconsistent. It ended up changing the shape of some buttons. Woohoo.
Other areas like copy and paste remain a product of Android's unofficial motto rather than a demonstration of the future - it's good enough. It gets the job done. Copying and pasting was rather random on Android (before Gingerbread). It was done different ways in every app and some apps, even official Google ones, wouldn't let you select text at all (while others like SMS only let you copy whole messages at a time and pieces you wanted). Gingerbread added anchors like iOS and webOS but you still activate them in a random manner.
If you watch a hands on video of Gingerbread or Android and like what you see I recommend it, especially if you want to dive into customizing your phone or doing cool things like having notifications sent to your desktop, sending files to your phone wirelessly, managing your SD card through wifi, etc. There's a lot of awesome possibilities here but it comes at the expense of some core UI elements.
edit: To be clear it's not that having to copy and paste a few different ways is enough to disappoint with Android, that's one example. Another that really bothers me is how Android handles bookmarks - it throws them all in section and reorganizes them based on recently used so that ends up being a disaster and quite useless. I could give plenty of other small examples that tip the scale from "I can do amazing things at the cost of some basic annoyances" to "There's a lot of basic annoyances here and I really don't care to do these crazy things much anymore." It comes down to what you value and what you can tolerate.
jonnybryce
Member
gcubed said:
Will do.
Yes, I'm all for the customizability of my phone, plus the fact that while iOS interests me, we haven an iPad at home and that's it. I don't need iOS for my phone and from what I can tell I'd love Android.jonnybryce said:
At first though, I thought you could update firmwares, like going from android 2.2 to 2.3, but this is seemingly not the case; I also understand the whole fragmentation comments and remarks on the whole android and its market since there's alot of different hardware out there.
Mercury Fred
Banned
Meh. Seemed OK. An awful lot of time was spent talking about being able to visualize and access a recent apps menue with a touch of a button. Sure, it's a great feature but that's something LauncherPro already doesgcubed said:
True, but I think what Matias was getting at was the fact that there are programs out there doing that in a sense which shows that the OS as a whole is lacking.Mercury Fred said:Meh. Seemed OK. An awful lot of time was spent talking about being able to visualize and access a recent apps menue with a touch of a button. Sure, it's a great feature but that's something LauncherPro already does
The interview was great and I have a lot of faith in what we'll be seeing from Honeycomb on phones as well as tablets.
Couple of things that I think stood out:
1) Skins are going to become optional.
-The GAFFER who said Honeycomb was going to make skins optional should be given $100 bucks because he/she was spot on. Matias talked about the skinning adding value (or in Google's verbiage... perceived value) of which is great, but the platform is to remain open. I think Google will decouple the UI from being in a sense "foundation code" of which will unify the platform as long as the phone can handle Android 3.0+.
2) Tablets or phone... TV or computer? The Android experience will be persistent throughout.
- He talked about destroying somethings that had really hampered the usability of Android. In the section where he talked about putting your phone down and moving to a tablet or to your TV, he really lit up when he talked about the user experience and the ease of use in that the hardware should not matter to the user. Really neat thought and I'm looking forward to how that develops.
3) Android 3.0 is Android's first big milestone.
- Now before people start jumping down my throat about this, hear me out. Having used Android from the early days up till eclair and now up to Gingerbread, Honeycomb is going to be the first release in which Google and Android scale the experience. What I mean by that is start thinking bigger in terms of what the operating system on the phone, tablet, netbook, TV does... start thinking bigger picture. Android 3.0 will scale and evolve faster and more rapidly than anything up until this point because (I believe) the architecture of the fundamental OS functions will be streamlined and compartmentalized. Google has long be talking about removing applications out of the main OS in order to push updates. What have people been @#!*% about the past page or so? OTA updates!! Vendor updates, Carrier updates... you name it! It's a total @#!*% storm right now and Google realizes that. I would expect for Google to start pushing Honeycomb and higher updates directly in the marketplace once they become "baked" and/or "served". Why do this? Remove the middle man. Understand that the vendor and the carrier are important but the expansiveness and security of the OS remains paramount in the pursuit of continued innovation and development.
---- An aside about this. This is where Apple is doing things right. Apple knows that the platform (in this case, iOS) is just as important as ever in making sure that things are locked down and updated to what they want in terms of user experience and features. They control it, not AT&T and not soon to be Verizon. Google see's this as the opportunity to do the same.
So my thoughts on the Atrix and ChromeOS, Honeycomb, tablets, GoogleTV and such... I think this year we will see carriers and manufactures become optional. I think Google will bring the awesome in the form of a Honeycomb release on some of this years Android handsets and quite possibly another "phone" launch for the "ice cream" launch later this year/early next year. I think ChromeOS will have to be integrated as a Webtop application much like on the Atrix in order for people to expand the way they use mobile computing and the same goes for tablets. GoogleTV will come to be a layer on your Comcast, DirecTV and other providers apps in which you can do everything across all platforms (phone, tablet, TV). OS updates will be handled in a way in which carrier information will become "application like" in which you won't need to work about your service since Android will be managing that. Custom UI skins will be a user choice... and mana will reign from the skies!!!!
Seriously though, all of the crap we've had to deal with as Android as evolved up until this point is changing. I for one am anxious to see what else we haven't even seen yet in Honeycomb and how to see how it will work on this years smartphones!
- Status