My Thoughts On Froyo

9/13/10 7:02 PMBy: Alex Z. Google's Android operating system has had quite the buzz these days and lately cellphone manufacturers have been dishing out some Froyo to some of the most popular phones in the market. As soon as Android 2.2 (dubbed Froyo) was announced in May 2010, Android users...

9/13/10 7:02 PM

Google's Android operating system has had quite the buzz these days and lately cellphone manufacturers have been dishing out some Froyo to some of the most popular phones in the market.

As soon as Android 2.2 (dubbed Froyo) was announced in May 2010, Android users couldn't wait to get their hands on it. It was the most highly anticipated version of Android to date. Froyo touted speed and performance increases, new API's and services (specifically cloud to device messaging), App to SD/internal storage transfer, portable hotspot capabilities, V8 Javascript Engine (2x-3x faster browser performance), auto updating on the Android Market, app crash reporting, and much more.

I won't deny the tasty Froyo goodness. There is nothing quite like hearing the metallic voice say "Droid" when I start up my phone.

However, there are a few things both good and bad about the 2.2 update that I'd like to highlight. Specifically I'm going to be reviewing the HTC Incredible's implementation of 2.2 (Froyo).

HTC Incredible

Major Improvments:

720p Video-Yeah, I like having an HD capable device in my pocket but that doesn't mean that I'm going to shoot an entire film or an episode of Ajazz Encrypted. The small lens doesn't allow for optimal low light performance, making some of the video grainy, but you can now use the two powerful LEDs as a lamp if you dare.  Although, if one is shooting outdoors on a sunny day or in a well lit indoor environment, the video quality is passable. The bottom line is, if you are used to editing with an HD workflow, having a 720p capable device in your pocket isn't all that bad.

Flash Player 10.1-It's really nice having full access to the web in my pocket. Having Flash means I can see the entire web right? Maybe. Flash wasn't designed for a touch based interface. It doesn't work well on some pages. It's also CPU intensive which can drain your battery. For example, if I go to Newgrounds to watch a flash movie or play a game, certain ones will work while others don't. Some games require a keyboard and others require a mouse.

802.11n Enabled-It should have been there in the first place. I did notice a few sub-options (Wi-Fi sleep policy set to 'never' by default) that were altered to increase battery life.

Wi-Fi Hotspot-For $20 extra per month you can use your phone as a hotspot. I'll let you in on a little secret.

Minor Improvements:

Messaging-Much better. When you accumulate over 400+ text messages for a single contact, it doesn't take forever to open the message. That saves on battery life. I did notice a few glitches. Opening a message via the notification shade sometimes takes you to the top of the message thread. It's really annoying having to back out and reopen the message. That usually fixes it.

Flashlight App-This is an improvement because it utilizes hardware that otherwise is just sitting there. It's like having a quad-core processor and utilizing only one core.

Amazon MP3 Store-Marketplace, check. Browser, check. Music store...yep. It's a little late to the party but by having a standard music store they are giving users a richer experience, one that iPhone users have had for a long time. There is the possibility that some users aren't savvy enough to download Rhapsody or another service from the Android Market. It's nice to include one.

Conclusion:

These are solid features for a phone that was already incredible. I am really glad to have 720p capabilities and I use the flashlight app almost everyday. I can only hope they address some of the minor bugs in the messaging app and design a new way to interact with flash (your move adobe).