Android Froyo 2.2 – Why to upgrade your HTC Droid Incredible on August 18th
August 16, 2010 - By Justin E. Gehrke
In case you were too busy enjoying your weekend to keep up with the tech buzz, Mashable broke the news on Saturday that Droid Incredible owners will finally get a long-awaited taste of the next generation Android OS, Froyo. The update is set to go out Over-the-Air, so many users may be notified the morning of August 18th. Others may need to manually check for updates, since they often roll-out in waves.
If you’re not sure how to manually check for and install software updates to the Incredible, Verizon has a static knowledge base page that walks users through the simple process (Install System Updates – HTC Droid Incredible). So why should users want to bother going to the work (albeit, minimal effort) of updating from Android 2.1 to 2.2 (Froyo)? After all, it’s just a phone, right? Well, the improvements may be as dramatic as those seen by users who have previously updated from Android 1.6 to version 2.1 and definitely worth your time.
The latest Android OS offers a 2x-5x faster speed during normal operation. Tethering, a new browser, and the ability to install apps on the device’s SD memory card are also on the list of improvements. Of course, there is also the fabled Adobe Flash 10.1 support that owners of the Apple iPhone 4 and many other devices simply don’t support at all.
Users will also be glad to know that updating installed apps is an easier process than previously experienced. Similar to its Apple competitor, the Incredible will now be able to update all apps with a single tap. Previously users were forced to navigate through the Android Market on an individual basis in a non-user friendly fashion. Another significant improvement that will make many music aficionados happy is the fact that Froyo supports both syncing and wireless streaming.
An even more recent addition to the already functioning Cloud-to-Device API functionality that provided support for Google services and extensions is the Chrome to Phone extension. The official Google page for the extension advertises it as:
“…a project consisting of a Chrome Extension, Android App, and supporting AppEngine server that enables users to send links from their Chrome desktop browser to their Android device using Android’s Cloud to Device Messaging service.”
This latest addition is available only to Android 2.2 users and can be downloaded via the Chrome Extension Gallery and Android Market.
For those who are impatiently awaiting the update to upgrade their Incredible’s OS, we’re interested in hearing if the difference is as noticeable as advertised. We have no doubt it is, but would love to hear your feedback, via comments.
