Rumor: Android 3.0 “Gingerbread” to Have Minimum Hardware Requirements

Posted Jun 30 2010 by Scott Webster in  with 22 Comments



According to rumors currently hitting the internet, the Android team will be imposing specific hardware requirements on handsets if they expect to run Android 3.0.  Rumored to be the Gingerbread release, this could go a long way to ensuring handsets don’t quickly fall by the wayside.  What sort of requirements are we looking at?  Well, let’s just say this – I cannot wait until these phones arrive! 

  • 1GHZ CPU
  • 512MB RAM
  • 3.5-inch (or larger ) displays
  • New 1280×760 resolution (Devices with displays of 4-inch or more)

According to Eldar Murtazin‘s Russian podcast (transcribed, detailed here), Android will split into two branches with 3.0 for high end devices.  Lower cost and mid-range devices will still run Android 2.1, 2.2 for the time being.  As we’ve heard before, the user interface is getting a major overhaul and should go a long way toward eliminating custom builds like Sense and MOTOBLUR.

Look for Android 3.0 to surface around the middle of October with handsets arriving in time for the Christmas “Holiday” buying season!  This would match up perfectly with what we’ve been hearing concerning a dual-core phone from T-Mobile.

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About the Author

Scott WebsterScott founded AndroidGuys on November 5, 2007 and has been hooked ever since. His other mobile efforts can be found on AndroidAtlas (CNET) where he covers Google's mobile platform. When not obsessing over phones and tablets, Scott can be found listening to house music, watching the Green Bay Packers, or catching the latest movie.View all posts by Scott Webster →

  • http://twitter.com/ButcherChop @ButcherChop

    As long as our phones can run them. (Nexus One)

  • lolobabes

    i agree, as long as my N1 can run it good to go lol

    • Chris

      There is no way they would introduce req's that cut their own phone out of the mix. You can bet the N1 will pretty much set the minimum bar for what phones make the cut. Anything released after the N1 will be eligible.

      I'm also betting that this is a move to appease manufacturers too, who probably don't like spending all of this money to update "old" phones. With this requirement they can point at Google when angry customers ask why they won't be getting 3.0.

      I also suspect that this will definitely *not* be the end of Sense and other overlays. Otherwise how would manufacturers differentiate themselves? They all use basically the same components, and their designs are extremely similar. I'm betting that Sense and Motoblur will morph from just "fixing" holes in Android to adding additional features and giving a color scheme that reflects the carrier.

    • http://twitter.com/TechThirst @TechThirst

      I know, I was afraid that FroYo will be the last update I'll be running on my N1 especially when I was told that Gingerbread would bring numerous UI improvements. So glad I'll be able to experience that :) ..

  • Mark

    Dang it Google, release it NOW!!

    (i'm joking <grin>)

  • CompactDstrxion

    Xperia X10 with 384MB of RAM will not work with it then?

  • http://BobGaronTraining.com Bob Garon

    There's already talk about Android 3.0 and 2.2 isn't wet yet on devices. Wow!!!

  • Siddharth

    Yea.. lets not get ahead of ourselves!.. still waiting for Froyo on my ERE27 N1. :(

  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/itskapil itskapil

    Looks solid.. I am amazed by the pace at which Android is growing… all set to demystify iOS and Apple.
    Ha!

    Android phone buyers, keep this guide in mind before making any hasty purchase to reap the benefit of the upcoming greatest update – http://www.theandroidsoul.com/2010/06/30/android-…

  • Dianne

    1. Android is open source; nobody can impose minimum requirements on people using it.

    2. To ship with the Android Market, there have always been minimum requirements… in fact initially there were very strict requirements, with a lot of work done in the platform and elsewhere to be able to relax them over the last year.

  • Claudio

    Doesn’t this Add to the fragmentation issue though? you will have devices running 2.0 for lower end purposes, and 3.0 for higher end devices. i am sorry to say, being such a google fan, but it is starting to smell like this update , frag issue ( that might be denied by some), is just a mess

  • http://twitter.com/cmlewan @cmlewan

    1280×760 resolution will be a requirement!? So no current (or announced) model will be able to run Gingerbread? That seems odd. Gingerbread is not supposed to be THAT far into the future, right?

  • Cyrus

    Umm hey dumbasses, no 1280×760 will not be a requirement…
    Gingerbread will simply SUPPORT them.
    Wow, people nowadays…
    Also this is very old news.

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