Android 2.2 Froyo

We take a look inside Android 2.2 Froyo to see what it offers and when it was launched

Froyo updated the Linux kernel once again to version 2.6.32 with an all-round improvement of speed and stability, as well as optimising memory and performance - on this kernel more RAM was freed up for use on apps. Application speeds were also enhanced thanks to integrated ‘Just-in-time' (JIT) compilation and Google stated that with Froyo you'd get system performance six times faster than the previous 2.1 Éclair build.

On the front-end changes were few, but substantial. The Google search bar feature was modified to allow users to customise it -with previous versions by default it would search apps, contacts and the web in one go, but with Froyo it could now be directed to focus on one specific area if desired. Equally interesting was the incorporation of phone and browser shortcuts to the main navigation bar.

Support for Adobe Flash 10.1 was a significant step forward as, at the time, virtually all mobile browsers didn't have this fundamental capability, resulting in a frustrating web experience as many sites use Flash extensively.

Meanwhile, Chrome V8 Javascript implementation improved browser performance too. A small but noteworthy change was that the browser now supported ‘file upload' fields on web pages.

It may have been improved but even so, there were still a few issues with the native browser, particularly running Flash page elements - it's not always the smoothest experience with sluggish navigation speeds occurring a little too often.

A fairly major step-forward for the platform  was USB and Wi-Fi hotspot tethering, allowing you to connect other devices to the internet through your phone, which was ahead of iOS at the time.

Another significant change was the addition of support for installing apps and saving app data to external microSD card storage, greatly expanding the usability of external memory.

A useful change to Android Market saw the introduction of automatic app updates and batch updating of many installed apps simultaneously, something we can't imagine being without nowadays.

Froyo also had tweaks made to its display capabilities and for the first time could support screens with pixel densities as high as 320 pixels-per-inch (ppi).

Further additional changes allowed the optional use of PIN passwords rather than touch signatures while the native calendar and camera apps interfaces were streamlined to be easier to use.

Microsoft exchange email support was updated to include options for security policies, calendar synchronization and remote wipe, amongst many others. You could also now toggle mobile network data access on or off.

It might not seem like the biggest update to a mobile operating system, but at the time Froyo launched in May 2010 many of these new enhancements and added capabilities were way ahead of the rest of the competition.

Next time we'll look at 2.3 Gingerbread, the current Android smartphone build.