Android 2.1 (Eclair) vs. Android 2.2 (Froyo) – The Difference Between

An overview of the difference between Android 2.1 (Eclair) and Android 2.2 (Froyo)

Cell phones operate by means of Android platforms. Two of these are Android 2.1, also called Eclair, and Android 2.2, also called Froyo. Together they make up the largest portion of the cell phone market. They are not associated with any particular carrier or phone maker and as long as a device is compatible, it will run on either one of these platforms. It does not take much effort for a phone maker to take Android 2.1 and Android 2.2 and make changes to the programs so that they will run the products they sell.

The Android operating system had a very low percentage of the market in 2009 at 2.8%, but by the end of 2010, it ruled the market. By January 2011, just about all of the phones released were Android, showing an exceptional growth rate in such a short period of time.

The first Android – Android 1.1 – was released in September of 2008 and by the end of December, 2009, there had been several upgrades. These include 1.1.1, called cupcake, 1.6, called donut and 2.0. In January 2010, Android 2.1 was released and was given the name of Eclair. This was only a minor upgrade from Android 2.0 with bug fixes and API changes. The later months of 2010 saw other upgrades and the release of Android 2.2 and 2.3 (Gingerbread).

All of the basic features that a smartphone would need were included in Android 2.1. The upgrades that were provided in Andriod 2.2 made these features better and included some new ones, such as user features and developer features. The major differences between Android 2.1 and Android 2.2 are:

• Support for extra high DPI screens
• USB tethering
• Wi-Fi
• Support for Adobe Flash 10.1., and
• Chrome V8 integration

It also brought enhanced speed and optimized performance.

Summary of the new features of Android 2.2

1. Support for low, normal and high density screens
2. Instant access to a contact by simply pressing the name on the screen
3. Ability to browse email for multiple accounts
4. Search feature and automatic delete for the oldest message
5. Improvements made to the camera
6. Improvement in the keyboard
7. Dictionary
8. Enhanced browse
9. Scrolling feature on the calendar
10. Support for Bluetooth 2.1
11. Live wallpapers
12. Improved Google maps 3.12