We got our first look at Android 3.0 Honeycomb at CES in January 2011. Later that month, Google released the SDK preview, and we really got into the OS. Honeycomb is Google's version of Android that is specifically for large screen devices like tablets and Google TV. It remains it's own special code branch until the platform is unified by adding feature support for smartphones in Ice Cream Sandwich sometime in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Honeycomb brings a feature-rich Android experience to tablets, and ushers in a major change in the way Google controls Android. Rather than make the Honeycomb version of Android available to everyone, Google is holding OEMs to stricter hardware and software standards. Some may argue that this goes against the open philosophy we're used to from Google, but it affords them a tighter control and focuses development.
Android 3.0 highlights
- A new "holographic" user interface and interaction model -- what we've seen on the Motorola Xoom.
- UI framework for creating great apps for larger screen devices.
- High-performance 2D and 3D graphics.
- Support for multicore processor architectures.
- Rich multimedia: New multimedia features such as HTTP Live streaming support, a pluggable DRM framework, and easy media file transfer through MTP/PTP, give developers new ways to bring rich content to users.
- New types of connectivity: New APIs for Bluetooth A2DP and HSP let applications offer audio streaming and headset control. Support for Bluetooth insecure socket connection lets applications connect to simple devices that may not have a user interface.
- Enhancements for enterprise: New administrative policies, such as for encrypted storage and password expiration, help enterprise administrators manage devices more effectively.
Android 3.1 Honeycomb was announced at Google IO in May, and the Motorola Xoom started receiving updates within a day or so.
Android 3.1 highlights
- Support for the new Android Market movie rentals service with thousands of titles available for immediate viewing on the Motorola XOOM’s high-resolution display or on a larger screen via HDMI
- Full support for the final release of Adobe® Flash® Player 10.2, delivering significant performance enhancements when viewing rich Flash content on the web
- Resizable widgets to enable further customization of home screens
- Support for USB-connected peripherals and accessories, such as keyboards, mice, game controllers and digital cameras
- Expanded Bluetooth features to support Bluetooth headsets in Google Talk™ video chats and Bluetooth mouse support in addition to additional shortcut keys with the Bluetooth keyboard
- Picture Transfer Protocol Feature support to enable easier transfer of photo files to your PC without the need for drivers
More Honeycomb stories
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Aug 18, 2011
That's right folks, the Android 3.1 update has barely had chance to settle in before it now appears that the next update to Android 3.2 may be right around the corner. There is no specific ...
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Aug 17, 2011
Google Reader for Android just got a nice little update -- mainly that it's now optimized for tablets, too. You now have the basic two-pane system. Folders on the left, stories on the right. And it's ...
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Aug 16, 2011
The Asus Transformer is one of the coolest Honeycomb tablets on the market. It's as yet unreleased sibling, the Slider, seems to be getting ever closer to release, as Asus have launched its offi...
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Aug 16, 2011
A court has partially lifted an injunction against Samsung that was keeping the Korean hardware manufacturer from selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in most of the Europen Union.The German court ruled ...
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Aug 12, 2011
Well, now, that's embarrassing. It seems Sprint's decided not to sell the BlackBerry PlayBook (that's the one that doesn't actually have an e-mail client on it) after all. According to the Wall Stree...
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Aug 12, 2011
If you've got to have Honeycomb and you've got to have it in a 7-inch tablet, the Acer Iconia A100 might be right up your alley. It's the first 7-inch tablet to launch with Android 3.2, has a TFT ...
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by Phil Nickinson
Aug 11, 2011
It's been a few days since we first learned the T-Mobile LG G-Slate would be getting its Android 3.1 update soon. And that day has now come. Pushing out over the air, the update will roll ou...
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Aug 10, 2011
Logitech this morning announced that it's teamed up with ZAGG and worked up a keyboard case for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android tablet. It's in the same vein as the keyboard case for the iPad...
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by Phil Nickinson
Aug 10, 2011
Youtube link for mobile viewingHere's a fun little time-waster that's floating around the Honeycomb apps list in the Android Market. Racing Moto is a very simple racing game. You've got a motorcy...
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by Chris Parsons
Aug 09, 2011
Just as was promised, Android 3.1 for the Motorola Xoom in Europe is now rolling out in stages. Motorola Europe took to their Facebook page to make the announcement and from the looks of ...
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by Phil Nickinson
Aug 09, 2011
Now that HTCDev.com is up and running, it's time to see what sort of secrets it holds. And Android Central reader Kevin's found this tasty little tidbit in the OpenSense documentation -- more of the S...
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by Jerry Hildenbrand
Aug 08, 2011
If you're patiently waiting for an update for your LG G-Slate, we've got good news. According to a moderator at the official LG community forums, the Honeycomb 3.1 update for the G-Slate should ...
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by Phil Nickinson
Aug 08, 2011
Here's a nice little Honeycomb-optimized chalkboard called, appropriately enough, Bord. As far as virtual chalkboards go, Bord works quite nicely. You've got six colors and three sizes from which...
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by Chris Parsons
Aug 05, 2011
Verizon Motorola Xoom owners, now is your moment of glory. Well, insofar as the first Honeycomb tablet that was supposed to have LTE by now but still doesn't can bask in glory.But we digress.Soft...
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by Anndrew Vacca
Aug 05, 2011
Here's something to make your Friday even sweeter: Pocketnow got its sticky fingers on a slew of screenshots reportedly from the upcoming HTC Puccini, that 10-inch powerhouse tablet heading to AT&...
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by Phil Nickinson
Aug 05, 2011
Word on the street -- that'd be the Twitter street -- and in our World Famous Galaxy Tab Forums is that the over-the-air TouchWiz update is now available for the Galaxy Tab 10.1, just as Samsung ...
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by Chris Parsons
Aug 04, 2011
It's a question we get all the time, so let's answer it. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has Gorilla Glass. And given the history Samsung has with using Corning, the latest press release confirming that t...
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by Joshua Munoz
Aug 04, 2011
Oh, Toshiba Thrive, where do you fit in this sea of tablets? Having succeeded where the Folio 100 fell short, there are still the doubters and the skeptics, brushing off your bulk as the ultim...
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When last we left the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (in the U.S., anyway), we'd been told it had a "late summer" launch window. That, really, could mean just about anything. And seeing as how most ...
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by Jerry Hildenbrand
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The Android 3.2 update for Honeycomb rolled out to folks with Wifi Xooms a few weeks ago, and word is that the update should be hitting LTE 3G Xooms any day now. One of the things people are rea...
