Android 2.0 Eclair was released on October 26, 2009, based on Linux kernel 2.6.29. Its predecessor was Android 1.6 Donut and its successor was Android 2.1 Eclair. The Motorola Droid introduced it. Android 2.0’s latest release was on January 12, 2010, as Android 2.1.0 Eclair.

Features

  • Expanded Account sync, allowing users to add multiple accounts to a device for synchronization of an email and contacts.
  • Microsoft Exchange email support, with a combined inbox to browse an email from multiple accounts in one page.
  • Bluetooth 2.1 support.
  • Ability to tap a Contacts photo and select to call, SMS, or email the person.
  • Ability to search all saved SMS and MMS messages, with the added ability to delete the oldest messages in a conversation automatically deleted when a defined limit is reached.
  • Numerous new camera features, including flash support, digital zoom, scene mode, white balance, color effect and macro focus.
  • Improved typing speed on a virtual keyboard, with a smarter dictionary that learns from word usage and includes contact names as suggestions.
  • Refreshed browser UI with bookmark thumbnails, double-tap zoom and support for HTML5
  • Calendar agenda view enhanced, showing attending status for each invitee, and the ability to invite new guests to events.
  • Optimized hardware speed and revamped UI.
  • Support for more screen sizes and resolutions, with better contrast ratio.
  • Improved Google Maps 3.1.2.
  • Motion Event class enhanced to track multi-touch events.
  • Pressure-sensitive touch support in API, even though no according hardware existed at that time.
  • Addition of live wallpapers, allowing the animation of home-screen background images to show movement.

Android 2.0.1 Eclair

Android 2.0.1 Eclair released on December 3, 2009 along with minor API changes, bug fixes and framework behavioral changes

Android 2.1 Eclair (API 7)

Android 2.1 Eclair released on January 11, 2010, with minor amendments to the API and bug fixes

Android 2.2 Froyo

Android 2.2 Froyo released on May 20, 2010, with major amendments to the API and bug fixes

  • Speed, memory, and performance optimizations.
  • Additional application speed improvements, implemented through JIT compilation.
  • Integration of Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine into the Browser application.
  • Support for the Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM) service, enabling push notifications.
  • Improved Microsoft Exchange support, including security policies, auto-discovery, GAL look-up, calendar synchronization and remote wipe.
  • Improved application launcher with shortcuts to Phone and Browser applications.
  • USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality
  • Option to disable data access over a mobile network.
  • Updated Market application with batch and automatic update features.
  • Quick switching between multiple keyboard languages and their dictionaries.
  • Support for Bluetooth-enabled car and desk docks.
  • Support for numeric and alphanumeric passwords.
  • Support for file upload fields in the Browser application.
  • The browser now shows all frames of animated GIFs instead of just the first frame only.
  • Support for installing applications to expandable memory.
  • Adobe Flash support.
  • Support for high-PPI displays (up to 320 ppi), such as four-inch 720p screens.
  • Gallery allows users to view picture stacks using a zoom gesture