Android 1.5 Cupcake version just yet, and now, we’re getting a glimpse at Google’s next software iteration dubbed as the Donut aka Android 2.0. It was demoed at the first Google I/O event and it looks very promising. Building on the improvements included in Android 1.5 Cupcake, this Donut version adds universal search function which provides search capabilities for both online and local device content, language translator, text-to-speech API, and handwriting gestures into the mix.
Handwriting gesture, as opposed to handwriting recognition, is basically used for searching. Draw the letter ‘e’ and you will be taken to the appropriate section in the list. The inclusion of text-to-speech API, meanwhile, will pave the way for the integration of Google Voice Search in the future for Android-powered handsets.
As far as the over-all design of the user interface is concerned, there’s not much happening in this department. However, considering that the Android 2.0 Donut is still in its early stages, we’re expecting more surprises and revelations to be made as the months roll by.