Android 2.2, Google TV Expected at Google I/O This Week
Table of Contents: — Google's open source Android operating system is expected to take center stage at Google I/O, which launches May 19. Android 2.2 (Froyo) will run on Nexus One devices with support for Adobe Flash 10.1.
Context & Ripple Effects
Google had already signaled that Froyo was close, while a May 13 report said Android 2.2 would add tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot functions. That makes the expected Nexus One and Flash support a product-delivery question rather than a wholly new Android direction.
Google is also developing an iPad-rival tablet with Verizon. The Google TV portion remains unconfirmed, but its appearance alongside a mobile-platform update would broaden the scope of Google’s I/O agenda beyond handset software.
First-order effects
- If Google unveils Froyo as expected, Nexus One users gain an Android release whose pitch includes tethering, Wi-Fi hotspot use and Adobe Flash 10.1 support.
- A Google TV announcement, if it materializes, would put Google into television software at the same developer event as its Android roadmap.
Second-order effects
- Wireless carriers would need to accommodate or constrain the tethering and hotspot behavior Google is bringing into Android 2.2, making network-policy terms more consequential for Android users.
- Adobe would gain a high-profile distribution point for Flash 10.1 if it ships with the Nexus One release, tying its mobile browser support to Google’s Android update cycle.
Third-order effects
- Google’s tablet work with Verizon and the anticipated Froyo release point toward Android becoming a platform Google can carry across more device types, rather than a Nexus One-only software story.
- If the Google TV rumor proves accurate, Google’s product strategy shifts toward coordinating developer attention across mobile and living-room screens, though the relationship between the two platforms has not been established.
The trend: Google’s 2010 device strategy is broadening from Android handset updates toward a portfolio that includes tablets and, potentially, television software.