Android 3.0 Honeycomb Review

With the iPad 2 out now how will the Android market fair and what have they got up there sleeves to compete with iPad.

Android 3.0 or Honeycomb, as it is now officially known, is coming soon to a tablet near you.

Google brings this new Android interface to a range of tablet computers. It includes a lot of cutting edge tech along with a holographic user interface system.

Honeycomb continues where the mobile phone Android os left off with enhanced multitasking, rich notifications, home screen customization, widgets, and more. But Honeycomb transforms the user interface with a vibrant, 3D experience and deeper interactivity, making them feel familiar but even better than before.

There will also be new apps written specifically for Honeycomb that make great use of the powerful graphics, additional media abilities, and better user engagement.

Two new "bars" are available. The "Systems" and "Application" bar. The "systems bar" is always present along the bottom. So if you are running an app the system bar will still be visible giving system information and updates (i.e incoming mail etc)

The "Application bar" is present while running an app. The "application bar" will give you navigation options, general options and will be a key point on the screen for accessing app information.

As with all android systems there is a choice of 5 custom home screens that give the users access to all the content of Honeycomb. All home screens have a grid orientation that allow placement for home screen widgets, app shortcuts, and wallpapers using a dedicated visual layout mode to be placed as wanted.

As with iPad and past versions of android there is an enhanced soft keyboard. The keys have been reshaped and repositioned for improved typing, and new keys have been added, such as a Tab key, to provide richer and more efficient text input. Users can touch-hold keys to access menus of special characters and switch text/voice input modes from a button in the System Bar.

Improved text selection, copy and paste
When entering or viewing text, a new UI lets users quickly select a word by press-hold and then adjust the selection area as needed by dragging a set of bounding arrows to new positions. Users can then select an action from the Action Bar, such as copy to the clipboard, share, paste, web search, or find.

New connectivity options
Android 3.0 includes new connectivity features that add useablility and convenience for users. Built-in support for cameras and MP3 lets users instantly sync media files with a USB-connected camera or desktop computer, without needing to mount a USB hardrive. Users can also connect full keyboards over either USB or Bluetooth.

Updated set of standard apps
Included in Honeycomb is a brand new browser. The new browser features that let users navigate and organize more efficiently. Multiple tabs replace browser windows and a new "incognito" mode allows anonymous browsing.

Email
The Email application uses a new two-pane interface to make viewing and organizing your mail much quicker. The app lets users select one or more messages, then select an action from the Action Bar, such as moving them to a folder. Users can sync attachments for later viewing and keep track of email using a home screen Widget.

Camera and Gallery
The Camera application has been redesigned to take advantage of a larger screen for quick access to exposure, focus, flash, zoom, front-facing camera, and more. To let users capture scenes in new ways, it adds built-in support for time-lapse video recording. The Gallery application lets users view albums and other collections in full-screen mode, with easy access to thumbnails for other photos in the collection.