Donut Anyone?
It has been a long time coming, but it looks like Android 1.6 is nearing its final release. Google announced today that the Android 1.6 SDK is available for download. This means that developers can begin testing their apps with Android 1.6 to ensure compatibility with the new update.
Recent Android history suggest that end users might see an official OTA update in about one month. We had been speculating that Android 2.0 might also be released in October, but it appears to have been moved to an early December time frame.
Highlights of Android 1.6 include:
System-wide search
Android 1.6 includes a quick search box that allows you to search across a wide variety of sources (contacts, bookmarks, the web, etc). The quick search is constantly refining its results based on what has been clicked in the past. After some use, popular contacts and apps will pop up near the top of the list after typing in just the first few letters of the query.
New, faster camera and camcorder
Another updates comes in the way of the new camera, camcorder, and gallery. They’ve all got a new user interface that should making capturing and managing photos and videos easier than ever before. Compared to the previous release, launching the camera is now 39% faster and the gallery now allows you select and delete multiple images.
Battery usage indicator
A new battery usage screen lets users see which apps and services are consuming battery power. If you notice that a particular app is using too much power, you can take action to save the battery by adjusting settings or by stopping or uninstalling the application.
Android Market Updates
The latest version of the Market improves the overall user experience and makes it easier for users to discover great apps and games from developers. There are new categories filters (Top paid, Top free, and Just in), new screenshot options, and a completely overhauled user interface. Google has posted a video of the new Market in action.
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Clark Wimberly
Clark is a web designer and developer living in Austin, Texas. He runs ClarkLab, a small web firm with an ever-increasing Android focus. He's a big fan of usability, standards, and clean design.
33 Comments
Stupid video won’t work!!!
Hmm it seems to be working for me. Can you click through and view it on the YouTube page?
The Gestures API is available in Donut, it’s just not being used in the Contacts applications. And if you listen closely to what I said when I demoed gestures at Google I/O, I said it was an “experiment,” I never said it would be a feature for Android 1.6. Also, gestures won’t be used in the next release to search through Contacts.
Thank you for clarifying that. We removed that last paragraph after I saw the Gestures API was included.
It was a really cool example, I hope it becomes official one day
I assume he was talking about on the phone… It says video not available when viewing from a phone.
use the replies!!! I spent many a long hours making these comments threaded! (not really)
oh yeah! So when will it drop? Later this month?
I see the video just fine.
sooooo how do i get this donut on my G1???
You stinkin’ replies don’t work on mobile theme…
You and yer stinkin mobile device….
So how much longer till we sandbox the mobile site?
oh come on, you know the schedule. there are lots of things in line before the mobile site.
go ooon
It’s nice the sdk is out to improve apps like amazon which currently doesn’t work with donut.
Just root and go with cyanogen for all ur donut needs.
No APPS-2-SD or OBEX Or Multi-touch in this
Maybe their saving that for 2.0!
Hey guys can someone help me how do I install this too My “My Touch 3G” this is my first time installing a Donut and i dont know how to install it on my phone. I will really Appreciate it
Search the forums. The direction you need is there.
Cheers!
-Mig
You’ll get an OTA update when you plug in your MT3g to your computer the day T-Mobile releases Donut. If you can’t wait, and want a faster Donut, then you’ll have to root your phone and go with Cyanogen’s ROMS, his is already out….. But that’s totally up to you.
“this is my first time installing a Donut”
hehe!
Lets see if they fixed the Album Art bug for the sdk
Just checked the changed log. Thats a negatory ghost rider, the pattern is full. The album art method is most likely still broken.
Does anyone know if Donut will support Full screen web browser??
I know its a minor detail but it really bugs me that its currently not an option on Android. Its just a cleaner look and I just got spoiled with all my other deviices, lol. ×D
Have you taken a look at Steel?
http://www.cyrket.com/package/com.kolbysoft.steel
It makes the screen a little fuller, has a faster tab switch, and a clever long-touch context menu.
I don’t think it does. But if you rooted your G1, Cyanogen’s Donut ROM has a feature where you can have a full screen browser…. It takes away the notification bar for more real estate.. hope that helped.
And no better videocamera ? 640×480 or 640x XXX wide mpeg4 video????
The one thing I would like to see in this update is flash 10. Its in the market now. I agree on the camera and video. Its the worse I’ve ever had. Cheaper phones are way better. Well I hope we don’t have to wait forever like we did with 1.5
So much whining! I for one welcome the improvements in 1.6, which are definitely a step forward. I like the ability to make my app searchable by Quick Search. On the other hand, I’m still wanting improvements in areas I don’t see mentioned in the overview, like support for bluetooth keyboard and file transfer, and support for ad-hoc wireless networks so I can use my laptop’s ethernet connection in my hotel while travelling internationally (so I don’t get raped by data roaming charges). Some of these features are already available in rooted devices, and I have rooted my own device, but that’s not for everyone – nor should it be required.
so u hook your phone to the computer and tmobile will have it on there website? new at this stuff. not sure how to get doughnut on my touch 3g. love thos andriod stuff it’s awsome! help plz!
T-Mobile will send you the OTA update when they have finished preparing it for consumer use….it’ll probably be in 2 months lol
Haha my app wasn’t compatible with Donut…apparently you had to really try hard to make it not forward compatible(Google only listed 3 possibilities of incompatibility) lol. It was one line of code(well it was like 3 but I just had to rename one of my GUI elements and it fixed it all), but I thought it was funny nonetheless
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There’s some serious bugs in donut. The alarm clock now is MESSED UP. It went off this am as I have had it set to do so for like a year now and since the phone would not get out of landscape mode (and yes I was holding it right side up) it was kind of locked up and I could not get the gd alarm to frigin go off. Had to horse with pulling the battery out at 5am. Right now, my phone is right side up and it is doing it again–it will not get out of landscape mode. (or whatever you call it) WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THE G1 NOW?????? Mine is screwed now with donut. Donut sux.
Everybody try to copy Iphone aps look. Planet will googletize.