Android fans long awaiting the next best firmware update can rejoice. Android 2.0 (Eclair) has been officially unveiled by Google, and it includes a good set of new features.
The full new feature set are as follows:
Contacts and accounts
* Multiple accounts can be added to a device for email and contact synchronization, including Exchange accounts. (Handset manufacturers can choose whether to include Exchange support in their devices.)
* Developers can create sync adapters that provide synchronization with additional data sources.
* Quick Contact for Android provides instant access to a contact's information and communication modes. For example, a user can tap a contact photo and select to call, SMS, or email the person. Other applications such as Email, Messaging, and Calendar can also reveal the Quick Contact widget when you touch a contact photo or status icon.
Email
* Exchange support.
* Combined inbox to browse email from multiple accounts in one page.
Messaging
* Search functionality for all saved SMS and MMS messages.
* Auto delete the oldest messages in a conversation when a defined limit is reached.
Camera
* Built-in flash support
* Digital zoom
* Scene mode
* White balance
* Color effect
* Macro focus
Android virtual keyboard
* An improved keyboard layout to makes it easier to hit the correct characters and improve typing speed.
* The framework's multi-touch support ensures that key presses aren't missed while typing rapidly with two fingers.
* A smarter dictionary learns from word usage and automatically includes contact names as suggestions.
Browser
* Refreshed UI with actionable browser URL bar enables users to directly tap the address bar for instant searches and navigation.
* Bookmarks with web page thumbnails.
* Support for double-tap zoom.
* Support for HTML5:
Database API support, for client-side databases using SQL.
Application cache support, for offline applications.
Geolocation API support, to provide location information about the device.
< video> tag support in fullscreen mode.
Calendar
* Agenda view provides infinite scrolling.
* Events indicate the attending status for each invitee.
* Invite new guests to events.
Contacts and accounts
* Multiple accounts can be added to a device for email and contact synchronization, including Exchange accounts. (Handset manufacturers can choose whether to include Exchange support in their devices.)
* Developers can create sync adapters that provide synchronization with additional data sources.
* Quick Contact for Android provides instant access to a contact's information and communication modes. For example, a user can tap a contact photo and select to call, SMS, or email the person. Other applications such as Email, Messaging, and Calendar can also reveal the Quick Contact widget when you touch a contact photo or status icon.
* Exchange support.
* Combined inbox to browse email from multiple accounts in one page.
Messaging
* Search functionality for all saved SMS and MMS messages.
* Auto delete the oldest messages in a conversation when a defined limit is reached.
Camera
* Built-in flash support
* Digital zoom
* Scene mode
* White balance
* Color effect
* Macro focus
Android virtual keyboard
* An improved keyboard layout to makes it easier to hit the correct characters and improve typing speed.
* The framework's multi-touch support ensures that key presses aren't missed while typing rapidly with two fingers.
* A smarter dictionary learns from word usage and automatically includes contact names as suggestions.
Browser
* Refreshed UI with actionable browser URL bar enables users to directly tap the address bar for instant searches and navigation.
* Bookmarks with web page thumbnails.
* Support for double-tap zoom.
* Support for HTML5:
Database API support, for client-side databases using SQL.
Application cache support, for offline applications.
Geolocation API support, to provide location information about the device.
< video> tag support in fullscreen mode.
Calendar
* Agenda view provides infinite scrolling.
* Events indicate the attending status for each invitee.
* Invite new guests to events.
