There's no such thing as Android 2.4 Gingerbread -- yet, says Google. The latest version of Android, which has already appeared on the Google Nexus S and HTC Desire S, is Android 2.3.3. Stick with us as we explain what happened.
The outing of Android 2.4 appears to have been due to manufacturers jumping the gun about the name of Android's next iteration, when announcing their new smart phones and tablets in advance of Mobile World Congress last February.
When HTC, for example, unmasked its new smart phones and tablet -- the Wildfire S, Desire S and Flyer -- it also said they would have the latest version of Android for smart phones, called Android 2.4.
This minor upgrade to Android 2.3 would have the same nickname -- Gingerbread -- and include a handful of bug fixes. ViewSonic also said version 2.4 would include one new feature -- the ability for single-core phones to run apps designed for dual-core processors.
Since then, the Desire S has arrived in our hands -- without 2.4 on board. It turns out the update was officially released by Google with a number that more accurately reflected its incremental status -- version 2.3.3.
So will there ever be an Android 2.4? Google's Andy Rubin let slip that the next version of Android for smart phones will be nicknamed Ice Cream Sandwich. Google isn't saying how the numbers fit the name, however.
Version 3.0 is already taken -- it's Honeycomb, the release of the operating system for tablets such as the Motorola Xoom. Google says it's currently working on bringing the smart phone and tablet streams of Android together. But it's not saying what version number that combined OS will have, if that happens -- or if there will be more iterations between now and then.
We think Google should've straightened out the 2.4 naming confusion right off the bat. It's hard enough to sort out the messages from the networks and manufacturers about what Android updates are coming, and when, without having to guess at the latest version. At least we know ice cream is involved.
Are you as sick as we are of Android updates, or is variety the spice of life? Let us know in the comments.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 11
Add your comment
anonymous 8 April, 2011 16:51
"Are you as sick as we are of Android updates, or is variety the spice of life?"
I'm sick of articles solely based around the next release number! As long as we know what the version number is when it's released it really doesn't matter what it's going to be. I couldn't care less if Ice Cream is 2.4 or 3.142857 (although the latter should be reserved for a pie-based gag) - all I want to know is that there's a new update coming, who it affects and what's improved.
dc1965 8 April, 2011 17:26
Why would you be sick of updates? While software's evolving as quickly as Android is it will be updated. If there are bugs, they will be fixed and the software will be updated. When new hardware arrives the software will be updated.
Every phone I've ever owned - Symbian, BB, iPhone, Android has seen various updates - the good thing about Android and iOS is the ease with which the updates happen - that's not to say that Symbian and BB weren't simple, but whenever users get too involved things can go wrong!
Have a lovely weekend - whatever mobile phone you own!
Jordyboyy 8 April, 2011 23:09
Actually isn't it up to the mobile phone carriers to chose which phones gets an update, so it's really up to the carriers which updates get's released on the phone and maybe what number it's called.
FootyFanaticOwen 9 April, 2011 16:22
Another pointless article from flora!
Naryan 10 April, 2011 06:56
Yes the numbers got a little messed up in this case, but all this "confusion" over the Android software models is just completely made up, it's like someone with a grudge against Google is sitting at a laptop thinking "what could I say that would make Android look bad... I know, how about 'oh the numbers are so confusing, they don't know what they're doing, they're such a mess, you can trust them with anything.'" Just fabrication, trying to make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. Besides, by the time Chrome OS for tablets comes out, the Android platforms will have converged anyway, so it will be Chrome, or Android. So confusing...
Naryan 10 April, 2011 06:57
Try and make the articles you write have a little more content please Flora.
Narz 10 April, 2011 18:42
Terrible article accompanied by an equally terrible graphic.
Anonymous 11 April, 2011 11:11
Thanks for posting this, Flora
It answered the question I was googling.
Anonymous 22 April, 2011 06:50
i think the naming confusion causes people to feel like they have been long finished with 2.3 and since have been working on 2.4 and 3.0 and that makes you feel like the carrier is slow to release you the most recent software and that by the time you finally do get this new release it's in a sense out dated.
Anonymous 23 April, 2011 02:43
Who really cares what the carriers do. ROMs are where it's at anyways. And the ROM development community has show for the most part they can bypass those icky locked boot loaders. Once I moved to a rom on my DInc, I never looked back.
Anonymous 20 July, 2011 15:10
I think the article was good, because my phone said there was an updat called 2.4 however after isntalling it was 2.3.3 so I wondered what went wrong. This articles explains it a bit. And updates are always welcome since there will be improvement with eacht update (I hope).