The recent Android 1.5 release (aka Cupcake) for the G1 and other Android devices introduced a couple of features that were fast becoming standard phone features, namely an on-screen soft keyboard and video recording. The rumors around this release started late last year with a few false predictions of it coming out in January. The release finally came out late April with much fanfare after the pent up demand for the on-screen keyboard, video recording, stero bluetooth and other nifty items. Here is a link to the 1.5 release overview.
There is also a video overview of some of the new 1.5 features put out by the Android team.
Soft Keyboard
As a former Blackberry user I couldn’t go without the keyboard and didn’t want to switch to an on-screen soft keyboard. I suppose it was because of my assumptions about slowness with the on-screen keyboard based on feedback from friends with the iPhone. After using the new on-screen keyboard in Android 1.5, it is time to rethink my position on soft keyboards. I don’t think I have even flipped out the integrated keyboard for over 2 weeks and here is why.
- The integration of the on-screen keyboard within all of the apps has been flawless.
- The on-screen keyboard works in both vertical and horizontal positions with keys large enough for typing.
- There is a predictive element in the typing that makes typing longer words easier. As you type, a suggestion on the full word shows on the screen which you can select rather than finish typing hte word yourself.
- One hand typing is now possible. This is probably the biggest advantage and something I missed about my Blackberry. The G1 fits nicely in my hand and I can easily type with my thumb with the new on-screen keyboard.
Video Recording
Let me start by saying the video recording on the G1 will not replace my digital camera or my flip HD camera but it is nice to have. I used it yesterday to record a couple quick videos of the family in the park. Videos are recorded in 3gp format. You can play back the video using the built in video player. I also have the Meridian video player on my G1 but it was not able to play the video.
The best part is being able to shoot and share instantly. Sharing options include sending via e-mail or uploading to Youtube. The Youtube upload allows you to set the name, description and keywords for the video as well as specifiy if it will be public. One thing I would add is being able to send the Youtube link via e-mail after it has been uploaded. It can be done through copy/paste and going into the Youtube app but the process is not seamless.
Other Features
There was a pretty significant, atleast for me, improvement made to the Gmail interface. Now you can select multiple mail items for deletion, archiving and labelling. Instant time-saver!! Copy/paste is another time saver and makes it much easier to move informaiton around between apps. There are a couple more things about the new Android OS release that I am looking forward to playing with such as stereo bluetooth, picasa upload and widgets. I have seen a number of new widgets on the market and the early results are encouraging. If you are looking for widgets, you can simply go to the site www.cyrket.com and search ‘widgets’.
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