Google shows off Android 2.2

Foryo arrives - Android 2.2
Foryo arrives - Android 2.2

Google has shown off the latest flavour of Android - with Android 2.2, codenamed Froyo, bringing a whole host of new functionality, and support for Flash.

In a demonstration that contained a large amount of good-humoured pokes at phone rival and former friend Apple,Google showed how the new version of the popular mobile OS can make apps run faster on the same hardware and insisted that it was more 'enterprise friendly'.

There was also a 'cloud-to-device' API shown off that will prove popular, and tethering and portable WiFi hot spots for Android phones running 2.2.

Browser update

Another major update was to the Android browser on the phone - with 2-3x better javascript performance, which gave the company the chance to run the SunSpider test alongside an Eclair Android device and the Apple iPad.

No prizes for guessing who won - at a canter, with Google claiming that the mobile browser was now the fastest.

There were big improvements to the vocal search including using the 'call' command to actually dial direct, and a Google Translate that spoke back your query in the language you wanted it to.

Flash, apps and updates

Flash support was shown, bringing more jibes at Apple for its own stance against one of the internet's most popular formats.

Apps can now be stored on SD cards, a major desire of many developers and users alike, and the app search mechanism given a major overhaul.

Users can also allow automatic updates for all of their apps, and crash reports can be sent of apps that fail.

Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.