The first solid details on the next update to Android, the 3.0 update code-named “Gingerbread,” are beginning to pipe through and it seems as though Google is cracking down with stringent hardware requirements.
For starters, the technical specifications are among the most restrictive ever seen for a mobile platform. Android 3.0 will only work on phones that have a 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, and a 3.5-inch screen size.
Google has been plagued with dissent and frustration among Android users over what has become a very fragmented market. Apps that work on one phone may not work on others, and even worse they may actually cause some phones to crash.
That’s mainly because Android phones range from very simplistic feature phones to ridiculously crazy smartphones, including the first mobile 4G handsets on the market.
The Gingerbread update will, as speculated, also completely change the main user interface. There will be more animations and transition screens between menus and apps, and it will be easier to find content.
These details are all according to a report from an Adroid developer on Unwired Review, who claims to have gotten an early look at the specs. Actual development kits are not expected to be widely available until October.
The new OS will do little to quash the concern over the millions of consumers who have already purchased an Android phone and will be incapable of downloading the 3.0 update. But moving forward, it seems Google wants there to be a bit more uniformity in its mobile space.
