04 June 2009, 13:40

Google planning Android 2.0 for 2009

Google is planning to release version 2.0 (code-named Donut) of its open source Android mobile operating system this year. While presenting the latest stage of development at the Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco, Google announced that Android 2.0 should be ready in approximately three to six months.

According to Andrew Rubin, Google's Director of Mobile Platforms, the time frame would allow, at least some of the 18 to 20 Android smartphones expected to be released in 2009 from eight or nine different manufacturers, to include Android 2.0. However, Rubin wouldn't say who those manufacturers are or where the phones would come on to the market.

The more obvious innovations in Android 2.0 include universal search, a text-to-speech API, handwriting input and the integration of Google Translate, which can translate text with a single click. It's not clear yet whether the handwriting input is gesture based or whether Android will be able to recognise natural handwriting.

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