The Nexus One was one of Google’s most prominent contributions to the smartphone market. The impressive specs were present and accounted for, but more important was the fact that this phone came unlocked — and was thus available for all the major cell phone carriers. Now the Nexus One has received an OS update with an impressive assortment of features just as the new Nexus S (for which the OS was developed) hits the markets.
The Android 2.3 update (officially dubbed “Gingerbread” — appropriate, considering its holiday release date) was released over the air to all Nexus One phones on December 6th, the same day as it was officially announced on the Google Blog. Google also took the time to promote the next generation of Nexus phone, the Nexus S, which will be released on December 16th. This new device features a refined look and more powerful specs than the Nexus One, while remaining unlocked and available to all major networks. The Nexus S will be shipped with Gingerbread pre-installed.
Android 2.3 comes with a number of important features for both users and developers. Most prominently, the entire application processing structure has changed, with Google taking more liberty with controlling your apps’ access to system resources (even closing them, if needed). This has improved the response speed overall while simultaneously increasing battery life. Other major features include a new text input interface, streamlining of the UI, an easier copy/paste feature, improved audio effects, access to multiple device cameras, built-in web-based calling, improved 3D imaging, and improved gyroscope technology. A full list of features can be found on the Android Developer page.
While Nexus phones already have access to Gingerbread, Google has yet to release this new version for other devices, nor have they indicated when those updates may arrive.
