According toPocket-lint, Google has been working on an update to its Gingerbread Android operating system which will include support for a new wave of dual-core capable applications and be released as the version Android 2.4.
We have seen a few images of unreleased handsets sporting the update, but until now it was unknown what the update would actually be.
Smartphone manufacturer Viewsonic confirmed to the popular mobile blog that its new ViewPad 4 smartphone would be running the new Android 2.4 update, which is expected in April, the update would introduce the ability to operate Honeycomb applications.
An April release date was pushed forward to ensure that applications created for Honeycomb-powered tablets would be able to work on smartphones also, with Gingerbread in its current state, these apps would not function as intended.
Calling all Scaleup founders! Join the Soonicorn Summit on November 28 in Amsterdam.
Meet with the leaders of Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to Scaleup Founders!
It also explains why there have not been any major smartphone releases (besides the Nexus S) with Android 2.3 as the main operating system. We expect manufacturers were told of this update shortly after the Nexus S hit markets and subsequently delayed the release of their handsets until the Android 2.4 update had been released.
Confirmation from ViewSonic also ties in quite nicelywith reports that Googlewas working on porting over specific parts of Honeycomb operating system to smartphone devices – codenamed GRI17 – although it was suggested this could be the Ice Cream update. Pocket-lint’s source believes Ice Cream will take the form as Android 3.1, with it suggested that all Android updates will be split from now on.
We imagine things will become clearer come Mobile World Congress or perhaps Google IO, we will of course seek independent confirmation to see what Android 2.4 has in store for us.
Story byMatt Brian
Matt is the former News Editor for The Next Web. You can follow him on Twitter, subscribe to his updates on Facebook and catch up with him(show all)Matt is the former News Editor for The Next Web. You can follow him onTwitter, subscribe to his updates onFacebookand catch up with him onGoogle+.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
