Android 1.5 Vs. 1.6

User Interface

Android 1.6 includes a new Quick Search bar that appears at the top of the home screen. You can search data from contacts, bookmarks, browser history and the Web directly from the Quick Search bar. Developers can add data from their apps to the Quick Search bar. The camera, camcorder and gallery features also received updated user interfaces. According to Google, camera launching speed is improved by 39 percent, and the camera can take additional pictures 28 percent faster.

The new Android release adds a Virtual Private Network panel to the Settings screen. You can connect to VPNs and access network resources using the VPN control panel. It also includes a new battery usage screen that displays the battery power consumed by different apps and system services. You can use the information here to pinpoint battery-draining applications and take action. The settings screen also includes support for new accessibility apps that developers can create with a new accessibility framework.

Devices with access to Google’s Android Market receive an updated user interface in Android 1.6. The Android Market’s app pages display screenshots submitted by developers in addition to the user reviews shown in Android 1.5. From the main page, you can click “Apps,” “Games” or “Downloads” to browse apps in the store by category. You can sort categories of applications by selecting the new “Top Free,” “Top Paid” and “Just In” options to display the most popular free, most popular paid and newest applications in the category.

Google’s Android update includes new platform technologies that developers can use in their apps. In addition to the search and accessibility frameworks, Android 1.6 includes text-to-speech support, a touch gesture framework and support for new display resolutions and screen densities. Updates include a new version of the Linux kernel and OpenCore media engine. Android 1.6 also adds support for the CDMA cell phone standard used by some carriers.