Difference Between Android 2.2 (Froyo) and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

August 2022 · 14 minute read

Android 2.2 (Froyo) vs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
 

Android 2.2 (Froyo) vs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)   | Compare Android 2.2 vs 2.3 | Android 2.3 vs 2.3.2 vs 2.3.3 vs 2.3.4 Features updated | Froyo 2.2 vs 2.2.1 vs 2.2.2 updated

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Android 2.2 (Froyo) and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) are two versions of the Smartphone operating system developed by Google. Android 2.3 is the latest edition. In comparison between Android 2.2 and Android 2.3, Android 2.3 is a major release and there are number of differences between Android 2.2 and Android 2.3. Android platform was initially developed by Android Inc. Google, the internet giant acquired Android in year 2005. Basically Android did not start from scratch; it was developed from the versions of Linux kernel.

Android 2.2 though mostly a stable system, had two revisions. Android 2.2 (Froyo) Rev 1.0 was released in May 2010 and Rev. 2.0 was released in July 2010. Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) was released on 6th Dec 2010. There are a lot of improvements and new features included in Gingerbread. Of course Android 2.3 is a major release. However Android 2.2 was a minor release, speed improvement was brought in with the integration of Chrome V8 JavaScript engine and JIT optimization, Wi-Fi hotspot feature was added and a new clean UI with tip widget and app market widget was introduced and some of the other app widgets were given a facelift.

A considerable number of new features were introduced in Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), that include new UI themes, redesigned keyboards, new copy and paste functionality, improved power management, better application management, new download manager, NFC (Near Field Communication), support for VoIP/SIP calls, new Camera application for accessing multiple cameras and supports extra large screens.

Updates:

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Scheduled Updates:

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 – August 2011

HTC Evo 4G – 3rd June 2011; OTA – 6th June 2011

Motorola Droid X – 27th May

Android 2.3 Revisions

The latest version of Android Gingerbread is Android 2.3.7 (see Table_05 for add-on)

Android 2.3.4 (see Table_04 for add-on)

Android 2.3.3 (see Table_ 03 for additional features)

Kernel:

Android 2.2 – Linux Kernel 2.6.32

Android 2.3 – Linux Kernel 2.6.35

Networking:

Android 2.2 supports Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi. On top of these, Android 2.2 supports Wi-Fi hotspot functionality that can connect 6 devices. In the sense, you can use Android 2.2 phone as a wireless broadband router.

Android 2.3(Gingerbread), in addition to all existing features, supports for NFC (Near Field Communication) which is a high speed data communication mechanism operates in high frequency within a short range (10 cm).

Communication:

In addition to standard voice calling, Android 2.3 supports for SIP audio and video calling. If you have a good 3G or Wi-Fi connection and a SIP account you can make internet calling. It breaks the boundary of regionalist concept and flies in the global domain.

Power Management:

Power Management is one the critical tasks in these kind of Mobile operating systems.  Even if you have all these fancy features, if the battery life of the device is couple of hours, then there is no use in the added features. Android 2.3 handles it in a better way than Android 2.2. Here in 2.3 the OS manages the applications and daemon application which are running at the background and closes the unnecessary applications.

Android 2.2 (Froyo) supports the following features:

Android 2.2 had two revisions. Android 2.2.1 was the first revision released in May 2010. Android 2.2.1 included some improvements and bug fixes. Improvements were mainly on Gmail application and Exchange Active Sync. It also received an update to Twitter and refreshed weather widget. Android 2.2.2 was released in June 2010. It was released mainly to address the email bug that randomly forward the text messages in the inbox. The email bug randomly select a recipient from the contact list and forward a random message in the inbox on its own. This bug was fixed with the Android 2.2.2 update.

Android 2.3

Android 2.3 is a version of the much famed open source mobile platform Android. This version is optimized for smart phones, but few tablets are available in the market with Android 2.3. This major version is available in two sub versions with few upgrades between them. Namely, they are Android 2.3.3 and Android 2.3.4. Android 2.3 was officially released in December 2010. Android 2.3 has included many user oriented and developer oriented features.

In comparison to previous versions, Android 2.3 has received an upgrade to the user interface. The user interface of Android evolved with each new release. New color schemes and widgets have been introduced to make the interface more intuitive and easy to learn. However, many would agree that even at the release of Android 2.3 the mobile operating system didn’t appear quite polished and finished in comparison to its other competitors in the market.

The virtual keyboard has also been improved in comparison to the previous version. The keyboard can now handle faster input. With many users still migrating to the keyboard on the touch screen, the keys on Android 2.3 keyboard has been re shaped and repositioned, to allow faster typing. Additional to typing users can give input using voice commands, as well.

Word selection and copy paste is another improved function on Android 2.3. Users can select a word easily by press-hold and then copy to clipboard. The users can change the selection area by dragging the bounding arrows.

Another notable improvement on Android 2.3 is the power management. Those who have used Android 2.2 and upgraded to Android 2.3 will experience the improvement more clearly. In Android 2.3, the power consumption is more productive, and applications, which run in the background unnecessarily, are closed in order to save power. Unlike previous versions, Android 2.3 gives more information about the power consumption to the user. Despite the many comments on not needing to close applications on Android platform, Android 2.3 introduces the ability to kill applications that are not necessary.

One important aspect in Android 2.3 was providing users many innovative channels to communicate. Being true the objectives of the version, Android 2.3 come with voice over IP directly integrated to the platform. Voice over IP is also known as internet calls. Near field communication was also initially introduced to Android platform with Android 2.3. It allows reading information from NFC tags embedded in stickers, advertisements, etc. In Countries like Japan, Near Field Communication is heavily used.

With Android 2.3, users can access multiple cameras on the device if available. The camera application is designed accordingly. Android 2.3 has added support for VP8/WebM video, plus AAC and AMR wideband encoding allowing developers to including rich audio effects to music players.

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) supports the following features in addition to existing 2.2 features:

 Android SmartPhones
Android 2.2Samsung Captivate, Samsung Vibrant, Samsung Acclaim, Samsung Galaxy Indulge, Galaxy Mini, Galaxy Ace, Samsung Galaxy 551, Samsung Galaxy 580, Galaxy 5. HTC T-Mobile G2, HTC Merge, HTC Wildfire S, HTC Desire HD, HTC Desire S, HTC Desire Z, HTC Incredible S, HTC Aria, Motorola Droid Pro, Motorola Droid 2, Motorola CLIQ 2, Motorola Droid 2 Global, LG Optimus S, LG Optimus T, LG Optimus 2X, LG Optimus One, SE Xperia X10
Android 2.2 4G PhonesSamsung Vibrant 4G, Samsung Galaxy S 4G, HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Evo Shift 4G, HTC Thunderbolt, HTC T-Mobile myTouch 4G, Motorola Atrix 4G, HTC Evo 4G,
Android 2.3Google Nexus S, HTC Cha Cha, HTC Salsa, Samsung Galaxy S II (Galaxy S2), HTC Desire S, HTC Thunderbolt, LG Optimus 3D, Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc,  Motorola Droid Bionic, HTC Pyramid (2.3.2)

Related Links

  • Difference Between Open Source Android Operating System (OS) Versions
  • Difference Between Android 2.1 (Eclair) and Android 2.2 (Froyo)
  • Difference Between Android 2.1 (Eclair) and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
  • Difference Between Android 2.2 and Android 2.3.3
  • Difference Between Android 2.3 and 2.3.3
  • Difference Between Android 2.2 (Froyo) and Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) for Tablets
  • Difference Between Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) for Tablet
  • Difference Between Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Android Ice Cream
  • Difference Between Android 2.3 and Android 2.4
  • Difference Between Android 2.2.1 and Android 2.2.2

    • Android 2.2 Official Video:

    Android 2.3 Official Video:

    Nexus S: The Backstory:



    Android 2.2 (Froyo) Features

    Features included in Android 2.2 (Froyo)

    Kernel 2.6.32, API Level 8

    Table_01: Android 2.2 Features

    For Users

    1. Tips Widget – the new tips widget at the home screen provide support to users to configure home screen and add new widgets.

    2. Exchange Calendars are now supported in the Calendar application.

    3. Easy set up and sync an Exchange account, you just have to enter your user-name and password

    4. In composing an email, users can now auto-complete recipient names from the directory with the global address list look up feature.

    5. Onscreen buttons give easy access to UI to control camera features such as zoom, focus, flash, etc.

    6. Wi-Fi hotspot and USB tethering

    7. Multiple language recognition simultaneously

    8. Enhance browser performance using Chrome V8 engine, which enhance faster loading of pages, more than 3, 4 times compared to Android 2.1

    9. Better memory management, you can experience smooth multi tasking even on memory constrained devices.

    10. New media framework supports local file playback and HTTP progressive streaming.

    11. Support applications over Bluetooth such as voice dialling, share contacts with other phones, Bluetooth enabled car kits and headsets.

    For Network Providers

    12. Improved security with numeric pin or alpha-numeric password options to unlock device.

    13. Remote Wipe – remotely reset the device to factory defaults to secure data in case device is lost or stolen.

    For Developers

    14. Applications can request installation on the shared external storage (such as an SD card).

    15. Apps can utilize Android Cloud to Device Messaging to enable mobile alert, send to phone, and two-way push sync functionality.

    16. New bug reporting feature for Android Market apps enables developers to receive crash and freeze reports from their users.

    17. Provides new APIs for audio focus, routing audio to SCO, and auto-scan of files to media database. Also provides APIs to let applications detect completion of sound loading and auto-pause and auto-resume audio playback.

    18. Camera now supports portrait orientation, zoom controls, access to exposure data, and a thumbnail utility. A new camcorder profile enables apps to determine device hardware capabilities.

    19. New APIs for OpenGL ES 2.0, working with YUV image format, and ETC1 for texture compression.

    20. New “car mode” and “night mode” controls and configurations allow applications to adjust their UI for these situations.

    21. Scale gesture detector API provides improved definition of multi-touch events.

    22. Applications can customize the bottom strip of a TabWidget.

    Android 2.2 Revisions

    Android 2.2.1

    Kernel Version 2.6.32.9, Build Number FRG83D

    Table_1.1: Android 2.2 Revisions

    1. Updated Twitter application and improvements on authentication process.

    2. Improvement to the Gmail application

    3. Improvement to Exchange ActiveSync

    4. Refreshed Amazon News and Weather widgets.

    Android 2.2.2

    Build Number FRG83G

    1. The bug in the email application fixed

    Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Features

    New features included in Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)

    (Kernel 2.6.35, API Level 9)

    Table_02: Android 2.3 Additional Features

    For users

    1. New user interface has a simple and attractive theme in black background, which is designed to give a vivid look while being power efficient too. Menu and settings are changed for ease of navigation.

    2. Redesigned soft keyboard is optimized for quicker and accurate text input and editing. And the word being edited and dictionary suggestion is vivid and easy to read.

    3. Multi touch key cording to input number and symbols without changing input mode.

    4. Selection of word and copy/paste made easy.

    5. Improved power management through application control.

    6. Provide user awareness on power consumption. Users can view how the battery is used and which consume more.

    7. Internet calling – supports SIP calls to other users with SIP account.

    8. Support Near-field communication (NFC) – high frequency high speech data transfer within a short range (10 cm). This will be useful feature in m commerce.

    9. A new download manager facility that supports easy storage and retrieval of downloads.

    10. Support for multiple cameras.

    For Developers

    1. Concurrent garbage collector to minimize application pauses and support increased responsiveness game like applications.

    2. Touch and keyboard events handled better which minimizes the CPU utilization and Improve responsiveness, this feature is beneficial for 3D games and CPU intensive applications.

    3. Use updated third party video drivers for faster 3D graphic performance.

    4. Native input and sensor events.

    5. New sensors including gyroscope is added for improved 3D motion processing.

    6. Provide Open API for audio controls and effects from native code.

    7. Interface to manage graphic context.

    8. Native access to activity lifecycle and window management.

    9. Native access to assets and storage.

    10. Android NDk provide robust native development environment.

    11. Near Field Communication

    12. SIP based internet calling

    13. New audio effects API to create rich audio environment by adding reverb, equalization, headphone virtualization, and bass boost.

    14. Built in support for video formats VP8, WebM, and audio formats AAC, AMR-WB.

    15. Support multiple camera

    16. Support for extra large screen 

    Android 2.3.3 Features

    The difference between Android 2.3 and Android 2.3.3 is very small, only there are few feature improvements and API upgrades for developers. The upgrades are mainly on NFC (Near Field Communication) and Bluetooth. NFC is a useful technology in M-commerce that is expected to replace many types of cards we carry for transactions and can be used in ticketing and many other applications as well. The new API level assigned to Android 2.3.3 is 10. Android 2.3 had two more over the air updates before this, the first revision, Android 2.3.1 was released to fix sms bug and Android 2.3.2 over the air update was issued to include Google Map 5.0.

    Android 2.3.3

    API Level 10

    Table_03: Android 2.3.3 Additional Features

    Additional Features:

    1. Improved and extended support for NFC – this allows applications to interact with more types of tags and access them in new ways. The new APIs have included wider range of tag technologies and allow limited peer to peer communication.

    Also it has a feature for developers to request Android Market to not to show their applications to users if the device does not support NFC. In Android 2.3 when an application is called by a user and if the device does not support NFC it returns a null object.

    2. Support for Bluetooth non-secure socket connections – this allows applications to communicate even with devices that is not having UI for authentication.

    3. New bitmap region decoder added for applications to clip part of an image and features.

    4. Unified interface for media – to retrieve frame and metadata from input media file.

    5. New fields for specifying AMR-WB and ACC formats.

    6. New constants added for speech recognition API – this supports developers to show in their application a different view for voice search results.

    Improvements included in Android 2.3.2 & 2.3.1 update

    1. Support for Google map 5.0

    2. Bug fixes on SMS application

    Android 2.3.4 New Feature

    Android 2.3.4, the latest over the air Android version update brings an exciting new feature to Android based devices. With the upgrade to Android 2.3.4 you can video or voice chat using Google Talk. Once updated you will notice a voice/video chat button next to your contact in Google Talk contact list. With one touch you can send an invitation to start a voice/video chat. You can make video calls via 3G/4G network or via Wi-Fi. The Android 2.3.4 update in addition to this new feature also include some bug fixes.

    The update initially comes to Nexus S phones and will be launched to other Android 2.3 + at a later time.

    Voice, Video Chat with Google Talk

    Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread)

    Kernel Version 2.6.35.7; Build No: GRJ22

    Table_04: Android 2.3.4 Add-on

    New Feature

    1. Support voice and video chat using Google Talk

    2. Bug Fixes

    Table_05: Android 2.3.5 – Android 2.3.7 Add-on

     

    Android 2.3.5 Upgrades

    1. Improved Gmail application.

    2. Network performance improvement for Nexus S 4G.

    3. Bug fixes and improvements

    4. Fixed Bluetooth bug on Galaxy S

     

    Android 2.3.6 Upgrades

    1. Fixed Voice Search bug

     

    Android 2.3.7 Upgrades

    1. Support Google Wallet (Nexus S 4G) 

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