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An Android update on the Google Nexus One caused a frenzy of excitement on Twitter, with people believing the first batch of Gingerbread had been baked.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, with the update that people thought to be Android 2.3 turning out to be Android 2.2.1 — a simple Froyo bug fix available in two parts. As the quickly disappointed Twitter member Macintosh remarked, it was a case of premature gingerbreadulation.
You can understand the mistake. Rumours and speculation about Gingerbread have been flying around for the last month. Initially, we thought we would see it first on a new device called the Google Nexus S, made with Samsung hardware but running pure Android goodness.
A proposed launch turned out to be a false dawn, although Google boss Eric Schmidt has been waving a phone about that many believe is the Nexus S. People have now shifted their focus to the Google Nexus One, believing it will be the first device to run Android 2.3.
Why the excitement? Well, although Google calls these ‘incremental minor platform releases’, in reality they can give major boosts to handsets in terms of features and functionality. Android 2.2, for example, introduced Flash and gave some devices the ability to turn into a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Gingerbread is reported to support video calling, which would mean Android owners could finally get some FaceTime-style action of their own. Also expected is a simpler, cleaner look, with better integration of apps and that rubber-band bouncing effect you get with iOS.
Sadly for Google Nexus One owners, this update was a false alarm. But once Gingerbread does hit, we’ll be one of the first on the scene to see what difference it makes to your wonder devices.
