1.4.3. Android 3.0 through 3.2 (Honeycomb)

Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) included user-interface improvements specifically for large-screen devices (e.g., tablets), such as a redesigned keyboard for more efficient typing, a visually appealing 3D user interface, easier navigation between screens within an app and more. New Android 3.0 developer features included:

• fragments, which describe portions of an app’s user interface and can be combined into one screen or used across multiple screens

• a persistent Action Bar at the top of the screen providing users with options for interacting with apps

• the ability to add large-screen layouts to existing apps designed for small screens to optimize your app for use on different screen sizes

• a visually attractive and more functional user interface, known as “Holo” for its holographic look and feel

• a new animation framework

• improved graphics and multimedia capabilities

• ability to use multicore processor architectures for enhanced performance

• increased Bluetooth support (e.g., enabling an app to determine if there are any connected devices such as headphones or a keyboard)

• and an animation framework for animating user-interface or graphics objects.

For a list of Android 3.0 user and developer features and platform technologies, go to

http://developer.android.com/about/versions/android-3.0-highlights.html.