• Features we want on Android 2.3 Gingerbread

    Features we want on Android 2.3 Gingerbread

    Rohan Naravane, Nov 12, 2010 1855 hrs IST

    Some of them are small and trivial, while the others are advanced

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Google's method of rapidly and regularly dishing out updates to their Android platform is a great way to get people more and more excited about their smartphone platform. But its negative effect is that existing owners of Android phones (other than the Nexus One) crib and cry about the delays till an update comes to their phone. For example, owners of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 have gotten their Android 2.1 update just now, something Google had put out to the world in the beginning of January 2010.

The latest Android 2.2 (or Froyo as it is popularly known), was released to the masses on May 20 this year. It brought in performance improvements, Wi-fi hotspot functionality, the ability to install apps on an SD card and Adobe Flash 10.1 support.

Android's version 2.3 or Gingerbread was supposed to come out of the cookie jar yesterday (November 11) but there's no official word on it till now. However, there have been a couple of confirmed new features, like improved copy-paste and social networking features as well as support for Google's new WebM video format. There is also some speculation about it including features like an iTunes-like Music Store, revamped UI, support for bigger screens and higher resolutions (up to 1366 x 768 pixels).  

Either way there are a few small things sorely missing from the most recent build of Android that we'd like to see be a part of version 2.3. Also, there are a couple of features that we think would do good as well. Read on to find out what they are.

Google Audio and Video Chat Integration

Apple brought the dying concept of video-conferencing on cellphones back to life with their "FaceTime" feature on the new iPhone 4 and the fourth iPod Touch. You can make video-calls using Wi-fi with it and avoid paying call charges by the minute, which you would have to if you were making a typical 3G video call. Now that people have started getting excited about video-calling again, this is the perfect time for Google to make the best of the opportunity. The disadvantage of Apple's Facetime, other than its inability to work over 3G networks, is that it, as of now, only works on the two Apple devices mentioned above and a Mac.



Google already has the Google Audio and Video Chat as an operational feature in their Google Talk for PCs. Let's face it, at least 70 percent of the people you communicate with online use Google Talk. It's a shame Android by default does not even support typical video-calls over 3G, something that is rumored to be fixed in version 2.3. This could very well be one of the reasons why Google is on its way to release the next iteration of their Nexus phone with a front facing camera (the Nexus One didn't have one).  

But we're saying we want more than that - we want Google Talk on our Android phones to support video and audio chatting. That way not only will you be able to video-call any other Android phone, but you'd also be able to make video-calls from the phone to any PC. The best part is that you don't need to have hardware from a certain company for it to work. Google Video Chat works in any browser; in Windows, Mac and Linux!

While third party app makers like Fring are making efforts in the same direction, having this feature built-in is a nicer deal. Also, there's a angry row of people complaining about how most Android phones today don't have a secondary video-call camera. Implementing this feature will give the manufacturers a compelling reason to put that front camera sensor in their next model.
 
Google Docs app

At the end of September, Google announced in a blog entry that editing a Google Document will come to the Android and iOS platform. It's been over a month now with no further word on it. If you open Google Docs in the Android web browser as of today, it takes you to a mobile site where you can just view your documents, not edit them. We can understand that providing editing options on a small mobilephone screen would be a challenging task (imagine how those drop down menus and the text manipulation toolbox would fit).



There can be an app for that. A Google Docs app that lets you at least make changes to your typed documents and spreadsheets, invite others to collaborate or even e-mail it as an attachment. Making presentations on that small screen is an overkill in my opinion, but you may think differently. I think smartphones of today are definitely more than capable of just viewing documents.

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Discussion Board
(31) Comments
Dinaiz
,Washington D.C , on Nov 16, 2010 05:45 PM
One great thing wit(h the android platform is that 3rd party applications can do pretty much what they want. This aplies to the "power saver mode" requested feature: it's been inmplemented in Juice Defender, which can disable all internet connections (wifi/mobile data) when the battery is bellow a given threshold. Basically, with a proper configuration, this app makes the battery drain less than 1% per hour when the phonne is idle, but you can keep on receiving notifications (sometimes not immediately though, but at least every 15 minutes) With this app, my Desire lasts 2 days, easily :)
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adifire
,Kannur, on Nov 12, 2010 08:26 PM
You can access wifi by putting the power widget in the homescreen. In Galaxy S it can be switched on/off by pulling down the notification bar. I am sure most phones have that feature.
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Rohan
,TechTree, on Nov 12, 2010 08:47 PM
Yes, the power widget simply turns the Wi-fi chip on and off. If you're near a network that you've already accessed before, then it will automatically reconnect. I was referring to when you are across Wi-fi networks (especially the password protected ones) that you want to connect to for the first time. Then, despite turning Wi-fi on using the power control widget, you still have to go through the multiple menus to see the network list
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Karthik Kumar
,New Delhi, on Nov 13, 2010 10:15 AM
No You Don't. Even if you're connecting to a network for the first time, after connecting to Wi-Fi from the notification bar, it does show available networks, provided there isn't a network it's chosen to automatically connect. in which case it just connects.(atleast that's the case in Galaxy S)
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Rohan
,TechTree, on Nov 13, 2010 04:26 PM
That's not the case with most of the Android phones I've tried. It seems like Samsung has corrected that in their Galaxy S
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amitp
,delhi, on Nov 16, 2010 05:01 PM
@Karthik Kuma: Did you bought your Galaxy S from Korea ?? At least on my Galaxy S it doesn't show the WiFi point in Notification area. I have tried on 2.1 stock and 2.2 custom rom both :)
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Sujal
,New Delhi, on Nov 13, 2010 11:03 PM
Hey Rohan, as far I remember, Android 3.0 was called Gingerbread and not 2.3. Are you confident with your "facts"?
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Sujal
,New Delhi, on Nov 14, 2010 01:17 AM
hey a big apology to you, I got confused! 3.0 is honeycomb. My mistake! :( P.S. I wish there was a "delete" feature in techtree comments. It feels so bad to make a fool out of yourself. :P
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Rohan
,TechTree, on Nov 14, 2010 02:44 PM
That's all right man, everybody makes mistakes. It seems like everybody's putting on their boxing gloves and sucker-punching other people these days. I myself did a similar blunder if you read the comments below.
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Sujal
,New Delhi, on Nov 14, 2010 07:05 PM
hehe... yeah, I've read them! By the way, I would like to tell you that on this site, I find your reviews and other posts very accurate and informative! Keep up the good work, bro! And hey, I'm confused about choosing between HTC Wildfire and LG Optimus One P500. What would you recommend? Personally, I want to get Wildfire but its screen and the processor power is the deal breaker for me. With the optimus, I dont like the looks much and am not a big fan (or even a small fan) of the LG brand name, but it has a better processor and a more res screen.. So obviously, optimus has a better app support. What should I get? I hope there could be a review of optimus by you soon. Or a comparison between both the devices. Any info will be helpful! Tx! :)
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Rohan
,TechTree, on Nov 16, 2010 11:06 AM
Since I personally haven't used the Optimus P500 I'll hold my opinion about it till then. But comparing it to the HTC Wildifire, the high-res screen, faster processor and Android 2.2 from the start are really big features that one shouldn't miss out on. As soon as i get my hands on one, I'll let you know. Thanks for the compliments :)
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Sujal
,New Delhi, on Nov 16, 2010 04:18 PM
thnx, bro! I might just get the Wildfire. Or maybe not! CONFUSED!!!
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ChandruBS
,Bangalore, on Nov 12, 2010 09:40 PM
Nokia N8 has all the features u guys want the yet to be released Android to have!!! Except the google docs thing.. So glad i bought the Nokia N8.
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Raja
,N Y, on Nov 12, 2010 09:53 PM
That's true ! :)
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anil
,kanpur, on Nov 15, 2010 11:49 PM
good for u!!! :P... but N8 suks big time.... Symbiam suks big time
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Nikhil
,Bangalore, on Nov 15, 2010 11:17 AM
Hi Rohan, I believe the Wi-Fi connectivity issue which you have addressed here is not an issue at all. Once you switch on Wi-Fi, it does indeed show a list of available Wi-Fi hotspots in the notification bar. As far as switching on the Wi-Fi goes, you can always do it using the Power control widget provided by Android Vanilla Build, its just a tap away!..
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Pranay
,Hyd, on Nov 13, 2010 11:11 PM
the single most important thing for me- a full fledged music player (complete with EQ, playlists, wifi syncing etc etc) i hope the Desire gets 2.3!
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DJ Lucas
,STL, on Nov 13, 2010 07:49 PM
Personally, I prefer the stock android phone dialer and I am sure that there are others. I have a measly 350 contacts and I hate the lack of search. I can't imagine somebody who actually has a real contact list as opposed to just friends, family, and a few frequently called business numbers. Imagine having to fling through 2500 contacts. Having the search box at the top, as opposed to last called is much easier in my opinion. The lack of search button functionality in the HTC implementation is simply broken, if they fixed that, then I would actually like it much better. So, please, no smart dialer without a search box.
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Karthik Kumar
,New Delhi, on Nov 13, 2010 10:12 AM
The Smart Dialing(or it's offshoot) and T9 enabled dictionary already exist on the Galaxy S. Agreed on the Google Docs apps.
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Uck
,Burlington, on Nov 12, 2010 07:18 PM
It's unrealistic but I wish there could be some open way to install a new Android OS on a device without having to wait for the manufacturer and provider having to make a compatible version
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Rohan
,TechTree, on Nov 12, 2010 07:26 PM
I hope that too, uck. I guess Windows Phone 7 has a better chance of that happening than Android
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Usamah
,N.Olmsted, on Nov 12, 2010 10:28 PM
Ummm... Have you tried rooting your phone? It's so easy now, there is an actual app for that. I think it's called "ROM Manager" or something like that. Once you root (access administrator privileges), you can pretty much install any android version and features/apps... anything your hardware will support.
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Raja
,N Y, on Nov 12, 2010 09:50 PM
good article ! good ideas !
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Gordon Shumway
,Hong Kong, on Nov 12, 2010 09:34 PM
That's a great list of improvements. I hope that someone at Google are reading this. On the Xperia X8 there's the option to swipe the full keyboard across and replace it with a numeric T9 keyboard, and it's great. The screen feels just a little bit too tiny at times. I'm not sure if this option is included on other Androids. I couldn't believe the lack of smart-dialing on many American-made phones. I have it on my budget Sony Ericsson T700 and it's a great way to call people quickly and easily. I love how I can type "666" to call my mom. I'd also like a way to shortcut directly to any option hidden within the settings menus. As you said, it's so hard to get into the WiFi list. If we could pin any option from the settings screen to the home page then there wouldn't be that problem. Away from the phone OS itself, the Android Market really needs an overhaul. For a company that prides itself on its ability to organise information, the Market is a mess. It's so hard to search and to sort through searches on there, and could really do with a little organisation. Besides that, I'm loving Android. I've never seen an OS evolve so quickly within a couple of years. I'm looking forwards to what comes over the next two years
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matt
,London, on Nov 12, 2010 09:17 PM
I think the ability to share / send numbers via text within contacts would be a winner.
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Nikhil
,Delhi, on Nov 12, 2010 09:10 PM
Good list BTW Google seems to be decoupling a lot of their apps from their OS, which is a good thing as old consumers stuck with old OS will still get the latest app updates
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Rolu
,Pune, on Nov 12, 2010 07:15 PM
Folders in Android exist from the start! Whats wrong with you?!
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Rohan
,TechTree, on Nov 12, 2010 07:25 PM
Really? Folders for application shortcuts? Are you sure?
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Haymitch Aberna
,District 12, on Nov 12, 2010 08:14 PM
Folders have existed since the beginning, just longtouch the screen and click Folder. No one uses them though, since we a neat little app drawer to unclutter our screens.
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Rohan
,TechTree, on Nov 12, 2010 08:42 PM
A big apology to Rolu for replying like a 'you know what'. My bad, I completely goofed up on that part. Yes, they do exist and you can add applications to them. :)
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Robert
,San Francisco, on Nov 12, 2010 07:54 PM
It would be great to see SMSPop like functionality built in to the OS. When you get a SMS, the full message is visible on the screen, and you can reply or close. Reply jumps directly to the messaging application, close marks the message as read. Simple. How about a GMail app that doesn't suck? One that has copy and paste that doesn't work the same (lousy) was as the web browser? One that lets you modify the forwarded part of a message. Just basic email features is all I'm after here. How about the ability to wake the phone with more than just the TOP Power button (too far to reach on larger devices). How about the ability to have you calendar week start on Monday instead of God's day (Sunday). Drives me nuts.
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