Rumors about the impending Android 2.2 update for the DROID Incredible.  A new leaked Froyo Rom for the Incredible has been leaked and looks to be very close to what Verizon may officially push out the phone.  Speculation puts the Android 2.2 build to be released within the next week or two, but before you get all excited we’d like to remind you that Android 2.1 ROMs for the DROID Eris were leaked nearly two months before Verizon finally pushed out the OTA update. 

The leaked 2.2 build for the Incredible does include a few other updates as well.  From what we can tell, HTC will be enabling 720p video recording, 802.11n WiFI, along with adding in a few extra widgets for Sense.  Verizon is getting their hands dirty as well by adding HotSpot, Skype, and My Verizon applications to the build. 

Those brave enough to flash this new ROM can find all the instructions on XDA-Developers.  Be sure to follow every setup exactly.  One mistake could turn your DROID Incredible into a very shiny paper weight. 

Source: XDA-Developers

We’ve been promised Android 2.2 for all of HTC’s 2010 phones, but if you’re looking to get your hands on Froyo a little early and happen to own an HTC Desire, we’re happy to announce that Android 2.2 has landed. The new build from udK_dev is mixed in with HTC Sense, offering a pretty complete build of Google’s latest Android treat. Keep in mind that in order to install udK_dev ‘s Froyo ROM you will need to have root access on your HTC Desire. If you’re not really convinced you want to undergo the rooting process and the hassle of flashing a new ROM that’s not officially supported by HTC, we would also like to point out that udK_dev has managed to bake in 720p video recording as well. For more details and step-by-step instructions on how to install the ROM, hit up the source link below.

ROM highlights

• Android 2.2 Froyo (FRF-85B)
• Kernel 2.6.32.15
• New Radio 32.41.00.32U_5.08.00.04
• New Base v2.04
• 720p Video recorder
• Native APP2SD
• App Sharing
• Car Panel
• Plurk
• Torcia
• Wi-Fi Hotspot

Source: XDA-Developers

Froyo may have just hit the Nexus One, but HTC is already working hard to bring Google’s latest treat to a few of their other phones.  HTC has informed Recombu that they are already working on porting their HTC Sense UI to Android 2.2 and have plans on releasing it for the HTC Desire, Legend, and Wildfire in Q3.  We have already heard that HTC had plans to release Google’s latest build of Android to the HTC EVO and DROID Incredible during the summer.  HTC Hero owners are still in the dark about a Froyo update and many are still waiting to get their hands on Éclair. 

We are working hard with our partners to update the HTC Sense experience on Froyo and distribute it to our customers as fast as possible. We expect to release updates for several of our 2010 models including Desire, Legend and Wildfire beginning in Q3.

Keep in mind that “beginning in Q3” does not indicate that HTC’s Froyo rollout will be starting any day.  The vague timing reference gives HTC a lot of leeway and will hopfully help them avoid the HTC Hero update fiasco. 

Source: Recombu

Google’s official Froyo build is finally rolling out to Nexus One owners.  Late last night, Google started rolling out the latest OTA update to the At&t and T-Mobile versions of the Nexus One.  Nexus One owners can simply wait for the update notification to hit their handsets or navigate to Settings > About phone > System updates to see if the update is available. One trick that seems to work with other Android phones to force an OTA update is to simply change the date settings forward on your handset. 

Starting today, Nexus One users will begin to receive the Android 2.2 (codenamed Froyo) over-the-air software update on their phones. This update provides some great new features including support for making your handset a portable hotspot and support for Adobe Flash within the browser. For a complete list of everything we’ve included in Android 2.2, please see the Android 2.2 Platform Highlights.

In order to access the update, you will receive a message on your phone’s notification bar. Just download the update, wait for it to install, and you should be all set. This update will be rolled out gradually to phones – and most users will receive the notification by the end of the week . We hope you enjoy these new features.

If you simply can’t wait, follow the steps below to download and install the update manually.

• To go from FRF83 to FRF85B download this file, rename it update.zip and flash it.
• To go from EPE54B to FRF85B download this file, rename it update.zip and flash it.

To manually install Android 2.2 FRF85B on the Nexus One, perform the following steps:

1. Download the official Android 2.2 firmware for your current build (see links above)
2. Copy the file to your MicroSD card and name it update.zip (Pro tip: not update.zip.zip)
3. Power off your phone.
4. Hold down the VOLUME DOWN button and power it back on.
5. The phone will now search for files like PB00IMG.zip, etc. This is normal. Scroll down to recovery and press the POWER button.
6. When you see the “/!\” symbol, press the POWER button and the Volume Up button at the same time. You should be presented with a menu and one of the options should be “Apply sdcard:update.zip”.
7. Use the trackball to navigate to “apply sdcard:update.zip” and select it.
8. When you see “Install from sdcard complete”, select “reboot system now”.

 Source: Nexus One Blog, Android and Me

If you’ve been following any of the news out of I/O today, you mayu have heard that Google is finally releasing Android 2.2. But before they did that, Vic gave a quick overview of where Android is. Currently, Android is being shipped on 60 different handsets across the globe, on 59 carriers, from 21 OEMs, and in 48 countries. In February, Google revealed that 60 thousand new Android handsets were being activated every day. Today, that number is over 100 thousand. The Android OS is the second best selling mobile platform, behind RIM. Since the launch of Google Navigation less than 6 months ago, customers have used their Android phones to navigate more than 1 billion miles. Vic also mentioned that the Android Market now features more than 50 thousand applications.

Now on to the new. Android’s Froyo release offers a lot more back-end updates rather than sleek UI tweaks that we say with Eclair. The main new enhancement in 2.2 is a new JIT compiler which improves app performance by 2-5 times on the same hardware. Most apps will not see a huge improvement in performance, but games on Android 2.2 will truly shine. For those of you who use cooked ROMs on your handsets, you’re already used to tethering, but with 2.2, tethering is now being rolled out to everyone with Android phones. A new cloud messaging API allows messaging to trigger intents within Android. This will allow users to send intents from the web (Google Maps and more) directly to their phone which could automatically open up Google Maps for directions and more.

Browser speed has also been addressed with the new update. Google has increase the java script performance within the browser by 2-3 times, making the Android browser the fastest browser for mobile. Other browser enhancements include Flash 10.1 integration, voice integration, call integration, and intents.

Android Market has also gotten a few new tricks. Users will now be able to push apps t their memory cards to save space on the handsets internal memory. Users will also be able to send app crash reports right to developers. But the big new improvement for users is the ability to update all their apps with a single click of a button. Simply press the Update all button in the market and all the apps will download their latest updates, but you can also change settings in individual apps so that an individual app can download updates without having to approve them.

We also got a sneak peak at what Google has in the works for Android, beyond 2.2. Coming in early 2011, Google will completely redesign the Android Market website so that users can browser the entire app catalog from a PC or MAC. But is does not end there. You will be able to install apps on the phone directly from the website with a single click. Google will also be launching a music streaming service so that all your PC music can be streamed right to your device.

It looks like Google has a lot in store for us in the future, but for now, we will have to make due with the new Android 2.2 updates that they are giving us. The Android 2.2 SDK is now available to download, though Google isn’t expecting to make the 2.2 source code available to OEMs and developers quite yet (should be some time in the next few weeks). Those of you who own a Nexus One should be happy to hear that it will be getting its Froyo OTA within the next few weeks.

I’m sure there are a few details on Android 2.2 that we have missed, but we’ll be sure to give an extensive overview of all the features once Google makes all the details available.

I’m sure Google wasn’t planning on spoiling Sprint’s party, but it looks like the upcoming Android 2.2 update will give Android users both USB tethering and WiFi hotspot functionality backed right into the OS. Sprint will be the first to market to offer WiFi hotspot functionality with the HTC EVO 4G, but it would appear Google thinks this should be a core feature for all Android users. Those of us with rooted Android handsets have been enjoying these “new” features for quite some time already, but it’s nice to see this included in all future Android builds. However, there’s no guarantee that carriers will actually allow users to use the new tethering capabilities on their networks. Traditionally, carriers like to keep a close guard on their networks and the data that handsets are pulling down. We’ll have to wait to see how this plays out once an Android 2.2 handset actually shows up on a U.S. carrier.

Source: TechCrunch