Android Phones Due for 2.2 Upgrade Revealed

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Android phones that likely will get the faster-performing Android 2.2 upgrade include the Motorola Droid, Google 's Nexus One, and several phones from HTC, including the Droid Incredible.

Google said Thursday when introducing version 2.2, also known as Froyo (for Frozen Yogurt), that the Nexus One and Motorola Droid would get the upgrade in June.

Also Thursday, HTC said the manufacturer would "most likely offer an upgrade" to Froyo for HTC phones launched in 2010. The company listed the already released Droid Incredible and the Desire, and the soon-to-be-released EVO 4G, myTouch Slide and other "upcoming models" that it did not list.

The company also promised that a full list of phones and dates for upgrades would be released as the date approaches, but added, "we expect to release all updates in the second half of this year but can't be more specific yet."

There are more than 60 different Android phones globally, with more than 100 expected by the end of 2010, according to analysts, vendors and carriers.(See "The Best Android Phones Out Now.")

Google officials released a list of improvements with 2.2, including as much as five times faster performance when compared to 2.1. The secret to the boost is from a new Dalvik JIT compiler.

Many users will also be pleased by the Flash 10.1 support added to Android 2.2, Google said.

For enterprise users, Google added Exchange capabilities, such as calendar sync and APIs (application programming interface) for developers to write applications for controlling security in Android 2.2 phones, including remote wipe, minimum password, and locked screen timeout. Google is also claiming that Froyo offers the world's fastest mobile browser .

With the improvements for enterprise users, Gartner Inc. analyst Ken Dulaney said via e-mail that there appear to be enough security and management enhancements in Android 2.2 for enterprises to adopt Android devices that run the new software with a minimal level of support. He added that the Apple iPhone features encryption, while Android does not, which is one shortcoming of 2.2.

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