This morning at Google HQ, we got a tour of the new Android Honeycomb OS. While I'm anxiously awaiting a hands-on demo (pics and videos to come!), here are just a few images of what the new system looks like. Not only that, but you can see the new camera and video chat apps coming inside the tablet. Check it out in this slideshow and be sure to keep up with us on Twitter!
We've talked a lot about the various Android OS updates over the past year, but it's the 3.0 (codename: Honeycomb) that's going to start 2011 off right. Why is it so different from other Android versions? Well for starters, it's made with tablets in mind, so you get a sleek and totally workable interface without sacrificing the ease of Google and Android. Motorola's Xoom, which is the first tablet to run Honeycomb, debuted last night and is coming with some impressive specs, including a dual-core processor!
Of course, Honeycomb integrates Google products like Gmail, Maps, Video Chat, and Books seamlessly, and you can stay on-task and efficient with multiple virtual desktop areas to work in. Besides the fact that the video looks like Tron, (which is all the rage these days), Honeycomb looks pretty amazing. Check it out in the quick demo video after the break.
New details about the next iteration of Android have found their way onto the Internet, and it looks like Android 3.0 (aka "Gingerbread") is going to be a big change from Android 2.0. Rumored to be coming in October, Gingerbread will support a resolution of 1280x760 for devices with displays that are four inches or larger — hello, Android tablet! It also means that we can expect the trend of large screens on smartphones to continue.
Additionally, Google is aiming to reduce the need for third-party interface customizations on Android devices (like the HTC Sense experience or Motorola's Motoblur). Additionally, Google is planning to maintain Android 2.2 to run on lower-end phones that can't support the specs required by 3.0.
Google has yet to confirm any of the rumored details, but an October announcement would mean that devices running Android 3.0 could be ready in time for the holidays. Gingerbread cookie, anyone?
