After investing a considerable amount of time and effort on the Android 4.0 user interface (UI), Google is taking steps to ensure that it remains a key component of devices. Writing on the developer blog yesterday, Android Framework engineer Adam Powell outlined the new compatibility standard for the Holo theme first introduced in 3.0 Honeycomb. …

Google updated its popular platform version chart this week, giving a current snapshot of the popularity of the various Android releases. As expected, Gingerbread (Android 2.3x) leads the way with a combined 55.5 percent share of the market, followed by Froyo at 30.4 percent and 2-year-old Eclair at 8.5 percent. Trailing behind are Honeycomb (3.3 percent) and very marginal showings …

Barely six months after making its debut, the Droid 3 may be packing its bags and heading off into the sunset. According to information obtained by The Verge, Verizon Wireless is poised to discontinue a number of devices, including the Motorola Droid 3, LG Revolution, and various Mi-Fi Hotspots. Their source advises that the final shipments are expected to arrive …

Strap yourselves in. We’re about to hit another Android year at full speed. 2012 is breathing down our neck, which means that CES, Mobile World Congress, and even CTIA are fast approaching. In other words, get ready for an onslaught of new Android announcements. Looking ahead at some of the rumored devices, consumers are in for some seriously powerful smartphones …

Sprint today announced that the Android 3.2 Honeycomb update is now ready for its Evo View 4G tablet. Following closely on the heels of HTC’s similar announcement for the Flyer, the update brings a number of important changes. For example, the HTC Scribe digital pen will now work with all applications, essentially turning it into a navigation stylus. Additionally, the …

Sony Ericsson, after already promising Ice Cream Sandwich for the 2011 Xperia lineup, provided new details today for exactly how the software update will happen. Specifically, the company’s blog posted a timeline as to when various models will get the Android 4.0 update. And as we might have expected all along, the newer releases like the Xperia Arc S and …

Don’t look now, but we’re about to see the release of the fourth generation of Verizon’s Droid handset. Rumors have been swirling for a few weeks now that the Droid 4 would arrive in mid-to-late December with the 22nd (that is, tomorrow) as the most cited date. But with less than one day to go and no announcement yet in …

Now that it’s launched Ice Cream Sandwich on its Galaxy Nexus, Samsung today became the latest hardware maker to outline Android 4.0 updates for its remaining smartphones and tablets. A posting on the company’s blog tells us that most, if not all, of its Galaxy device lineup from 2011 will see Ice Cream Sandwich. So if you’re keeping track, that …

If there’s one thing that Verizon isn’t short on, it’s high-end Android phones. Today we get to add yet another model to the growing list as an unannounced Motorola Droid Razr Maxx breaks cover. Droid Life obtained a document late last week that suggests Verizon is set to offer a variant of the Motorola phone which launched barely one month …

Google has long offered Android developers a number of resources for creating quality applications and games. Indeed, whether it’s the oft-updated platform version chart or a member of the team dropping by the developer blog to share some code or best practices, there’s plenty of official information available. If that wasn’t enough, today brings another valuable set of tools for …