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Android 2.3 Gingerbread spotted in official Google video

Android 2.3 Gingerbread has been spotted in an official Google video from the Hong Kong branch of the search leviathan, showing off a few of its UI changes.

Flora Graham
2 min read
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Android 2.3 Gingerbread has been leaked on video, showing a glimpse of a redesigned, green-tinged user interface.

The video, from Google's Hong Kong-based YouTube account, has since been removed -- but happily, the Android Police blog points us to another YouTube copy, which you can see below.

Since we're waiting on tenterhooks to bask in the sweet smell of freshly baked Gingerbread, which has been rumoured for weeks, we're hungry for any news of the missing biscuit.

There's just a hint of what's in store, since the video isn't demonstrating the new features of Android 2.3, but we did spot a few of the revamped bits and bobs.

The three shortcuts at the bottom of the home screen have been given a touch of colour, with the dial button and browser button both going green to mirror the Android logo. Check boxes and radio buttons get a polish in the settings, too.

You can also spot a new tab in the Android Market that adds the option to see related apps when you're looking at the description of an app.

So a few new icons are fine, but what else can we expect from Gingerbread? The last version, Android 2.2 Froyo, brought the excitement of Flash in the browser, tethering and the ability to act as a portable Wi-Fi hotspot.

One feature we expect to come with Gingerbread is a plethora of voice over IP calling features that use Google Voice, but sadly that service isn't available in the UK.

Other features Google has hinted at include a revamped online Android Market, the ability to send apps and media files to your phone over the air, and to stream your whole music library from your computer to your phone.

We could also see more access to phone hardware by Web apps, so they can use things like the camera and accelerometer within the browser. That would make Web apps much more powerful, without the need to install them on your phone like a normal app.

It's probably too soon to see these features on Gingerbread -- we may have to wait for a later version before we see much of the stuff Google teased us with at this year's Google I/O showcase.

What do you think of Gingerbread's green makeover? Let us know in the comments.