Google Android 4, aka Ice Cream Sandwich
Android has grown at a frantic pace – and with over 40% market share, according to an IDC report, it is the leading smartphone OS today. But Matias Duarte, Android’s head of user experience, recently said that the OS seemed to lack soul: “We found that while people like and need Android, they don’t love it.” With Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), Google is hoping to make people fall in love with the OS.
A Honeyed inteface: Currently there are different versions of Android – Gingerbread for phones, and Honeycomb for tablets. Going forward there will be only one OS for both. In terms of user interface, just like Honeycomb, ICS doesn’t require any physical buttons. Instead, it relies on gestures. For example, a horizontal swipe closes an app during multitasking.
When it comes to eye-candy, the UI uses lots of translucent layers. Combine this with a new font ‘Roboto’, and ICS makes for a very good looking OS.
Camera features: Google is taking photography very seriously with ICS. The result: There are a number of tweaks to the camera app. ICS supports “zero-shutter lag” camera (if the hardware is up to the task). This means there is virtually no lag between clicking two pictures.
Also, a panorama feature has been added and users will just need to pan the camera over a scene to capture wide-angle pictures.
People app: In ICS, Google has completely changed the way contacts are organized. Now called the People app, it has a more intuitive design, complete with large pictures and swipe (sideways) navigation. All the profiles in the app are linked to social networks and they not only list the contact information, but also show updates, including photographs, pulled from Google+, Twitter, Facebook, etc. This means users can check what their contacts are saying on the microblog without even going into the Twitter app.
Revamped lockscreen: Some Android vendors like HTC and Samsung have already done it, but with ICS, Google is allowing users to do more with their phone without having to unlock its screen. Now, the camera app can be accessed directly from the screen even when it’s in its locked state. Similarly, the music app can be also be controlled from screen when in playback mode. Notifications can also be accessed without unlocking the screen.
Android Beam: It is a very futuristic feature and not all phones will be able to make use of it because it requires an NFC (Near Field Communication) chip. Using the technology, users can bump two compatible devices to exchange data such as files and photographs, and even initiate a multiplayer game.
Other features: ICS brings a lot to the table. There is the option for face unlock, better tab management and save-foroffline reading in the browser. Then there are better email features along with 30-day offline mail search, ability to monitor and control data usage by various apps, spell checker and better voice recognition.
Our take: With ICS, Google’s primary aim, it seems, is to give Android a unified and spiffier look. Yes, there are lots of new features, but then, many of the new features are already available in custom versions of Android that Samsung or HTC put on their phones. Bolstering the user experience is Google’s way to prepare for the fight against the competition.
Devices: Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S. Other high-end Android phones like Galaxy S2 and HTC Sensation are likely to get ICS but the time frame will depend on the OEMs
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