Android Cupcake: Glaring Omissions

Browsing and Bluetooth

Cupcake updates Android’s browser to the latest version of WebKit, and in the process adds a few capabilities users should find beneficial. For instance, the browser now supports an excellent Find in Page tool to help users find content within an open Web page. This will allow users to easily cycle through all detected instances of the desired word or phrase.

The browser also now supports cut and paste, allowing the user to select and copy text to the clipboard to be shared with other applications via the Menu+V paste keystroke combination. Unfortunately, I found that the paste command does not play nicely with the on-screen keyboard, necessitating the use of the physical keyboard.

Bluetooth capabilities in the initial release of Android on the G1 were limited, as the Bluetooth API was removed from the Android SDK (software development kit) a few weeks before the product first shipped. Cupcake improves Android’s Bluetooth capabilities somewhat with the inclusion of A2DP support for stereo Bluetooth capabilities. Indeed, I found it quite straightforward to connect the updated G1 with my stereo-enabled Motorola S9 headset.

Poor attachment handling

On the other hand, I was very disappointed to find that Cupcake provides no detectable improvements to one of the biggest drawbacks in the original Android release — the software’s subpar handling of e-mail attachments, particularly in the POP3/IMAP e-mail client. I originally criticised the inability to view, modify or save attachments that come in via the POP3/IMAP client, as I found I had no control over the attachments whatsoever. (The Gmail client provided handling for a few attachment types, like JPG.) Sadly, with Cupcake, this remains the status quo.

Conclusion

The Android operating system is already feature-packed, and the Cupcake update adds an appealing mix of features and fixes, which we checked out on a G1 with Google smartphone. However, the mobile software upgrade leaves some glaring shortcomings unaddressed.