Android 2.2 Froyo is finally unveiled, 2-5x faster than Eclair

Just as expected Google announced the latest version of the Android OS at their I/O event today. Android 2.2 Froyo has hardly been the industry best-kept secret so you probably already had an idea of what was coming but it is a very worthy update nonetheless.

Bringing a significant improvement in performance and a host of new user features Froyo certainly looks like one of the most mature and advanced smartphone platforms out there.

The official Android 2.2. video will explain some of the new stuff.

Here's a recap of the most major changes in the latest Android 2.2 edition:

• One of the most awaited addons - full Flash 10.1 support is on board the Andrid 2.2 Froyo. For now it's beta, but the final version is slated for June release.

• New web browser V8 Javascript engine allows faster loading of JavaScript-heavy pages.
• 2x-5x performance improvement for CPU-heavy apps thanks to the Dalvik JIT Compiler.
• Improved memory management allowing faster app switching and smoother performance on memory-constrained devices.

• Password unlocking, remote wipe, exchange calendars, auto-discovery

• Onscreen camera keys allows controlling zooming, flash, white balance, geo-tagging, focus and exposure.
• Camcorder can now make use of LED flash as video light.
• Camera now supports portrait orientation.

• You can install applications on the shared external storage (SD card, for instance).
• The Cloud-based Backup and Restore service can now backup some of the thrid-party app data for future restores.
• New bug reporting feature for Android Market apps send developers crash and freeze reports
• New "car mode" and "night mode" controls and configurations allow applications to adjust their UI for these situations.

• You can use the smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 8 devices.
• You can tether the smartphone to a computer as a 3G modem over a USB cable.
• 3D Gallery allows you to peek into picture stacks using a zoom gesture.
• The Phone, Applications Launcher, and Browser now have dedicated shortcuts on the Home screen that are always visible.
• Supportr for multi-lingual keyboards - toggling Latin-based keyboards is a flick away.
• Voice dialing over Bluetooth.
• Contact sharing over Bluetooth.