1.4.2. Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), released later in 2010, added more user refinements, such as a redesigned keyboard, improved navigation capabilities, increased power efficiency and more. It also added several developer features for communications (e.g., technologies that make it easier to make and receive calls from within an app), multimedia (e.g., new audio and graphics APIs) and gaming (e.g., improved performance and new sensors, such as a gyroscope for better motion processing).

One of the most significant new features in Android 2.3 was support for near-field communication (NFC)—a short-range wireless connectivity standard that enables communication between two devices within a few centimeters. NFC support and features vary by Android device. NFC can be used for payments (for example, touching your NFC-enabled Android device to a payment device on a soda machine), exchanging data such as contacts and pictures, pairing devices and accessories and more.

For a more Android 2.3 developer features, see http://developer.android.com/about/versions/android-2.3-highlights.html.