Key Improvements Developers Are Eyeing On Android 4.0

Google very recently introduced Android 4.0, otherwise known as Ice Cream Sandwich, along with the new phone that will ship with the it, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The improvements that it offers are certainly significant, ambitious and compelling to the marketplace. Here is a quick list of the highlights that are being discussed by Android application developers:

1. Unified UI Framework – The new  Android UI is now consistant across device form factors. Android developers can now write for Android devices across the board rather than phones or tablets separately.

2. Android Beam –  NFC-enabled Android phones can now use Android Beam to share information about their apps with each other when the phones are in close proximity. Users can now exchange contacts, configure multi-player games, initiate chats, etc. Android Beam can switch over to Bluetooth for large data transfers; and it doesn’t require manual device discovery or pairing. Android application developers are very excited about this feature.

3. Face Unlock – Android 4.0 uses the technology as an optional way to unlock the device. Users can also use PIN entry or pattern tracing to unlock their devices.

4. Calendar API – Simplifies the process of adding calendar related services to apps. It allows apps to add and manage events, alerts, and reminders through a shared database. Very useful for mobile applications for Android phones.

5. Visual Voicemail API – Includes the ability to access incoming messages, voice transcriptions, and audio files from multiple voicemail service providers. The Phone app can be integrated with developer apps.

6. Enterprise Enhancements – Ice Cream Sandwich comes with a new VPN API that makes it easier to create apps that rely on secure connections.

There is certainly a lot to be excited about with Android 4.0. If you are contemplating building a mobile app for Android devices  be sure to discuss all that is available with an Android mobile app developer to make sure you don’t miss out on a great opportunity to leverage the power of this exciting new operating system.