Google Ships 'Ice Cream Sandwich' Partner Update, Adds Social Stream

Google formally announced Android 4.0.3 on Friday, the base version of its "Ice Cream Sandwich" operating system that will be provided to partners.

Although Google described the new version as a mix of optimizations and bug fixes, the real significance is that the new OS will be the baseline version that will be rolled out to partners interested in developing phones and tablets around the new OS. It also appears to possibly include Facebook Ticker-like functionality.

"Going forward, we'll be focusing our partners on Android 4.0.3 as the base version of Ice Cream Sandwich," Xavier Ducrohet, the Android SDK Tech Lead, said in announcing the new version. "The new platform will be rolling out to production phones and tablets in the weeks ahead, so we strongly encourage you to test your applications on Android 4.0.3 as soon as possible."

In addition to incremental improvements in graphics, databases, spell-checking, Bluetooth, and other features, the new OS includes a new social stream API.

"Applications that use social stream data such as status updates and check-ins can now sync that data with each of the user's contacts, providing items in a stream along with photos for each," Ducrohet wrote. "This new API lets apps show users what the people they know are doing or saying, in addition to their photos and contact information."

Apps can now add colors to calendar events, Ducrohet added, and improvements were made to screen readers.

Smartphone cameras also received a key improvement: the OS now supports video stabilization, a feature of many point-and-shoot cameras. QVGA resolution profiles were also added.

Which phones will be receiving Ice Cream Sandwich? Hit the link to find out. And then check out the related explanations from Sony Ericsson and Motorola on why it will take so long for those updates to arrive.