Google Quietly Testing Android 3.0 Gingerbread

It looks like Gingerbread is being quietly tested either by Google or its developers using a popular Android benchmarking tool called Linpack. GreeneComputing, the makers behind Linpack, saw Android versions 3.0, 3.0.1, and 3.2 being tested using their tool:

“Android 2.2 (FroYo) took the Linpack lead for the most runs this last week. According to my analytics, Android 2.2 was used 43.1% of the time. Android 2.1-update1, the previous leader was used 39.8% of the time. So what was used for the rest of the 17% of the time? How about 158 other ROMs! That is a lot of variety to choose. Mixed in with the lot is some curious ROMS; Android 3.0, Android 3.0.1, and Android 3.2″

While Android 3.0, 3.0.1, and 3.2 may seem like multiple releases of Gingerbread, it could be just a a single build of Android 3.0 that’s been parsed out for simultaneous and concurrent development by different teams at Google. It’s unclear when Gingerbread will be released and what will be new from the next-generation Android release as Google hasn’t been forthcoming about details, but an analyst from The Street recently pegged a Motorola 10-inch Android tablet for a November launch running Android 3.0.

If the November timeframe is accurate, Google’s development cycle for Android would be really fast. Most OEMs, carriers, and developers received Android 2.2 Froyo release at Google I/O in May and Froyo updates for current handsets aren’t expected until late summer or early fall at the earliest.

Casey Pham
Categories: Cellphones, Top Stories
Tags: android 3.0, Gingerbread (Android), Google, Smartphones, Tablet