Google Distributing Android 2.2 Froyo To Nexus OneGoogle Distributing Android 2.2 Froyo To Nexus One

According to Google, the Android 2.2 Froyo update is being delivered via an over-the-air update. It should reach most users by the end of the week, who will be notified by a message on their device with a link to the download.

Google says that when users receive the update link, they should download the software and then wait for it to install itself. There are plenty of new features to be excited about.

The first feature is tethering. Tethering will allow users to connect their Android device to their laptop and share its data connection. A number of smartphones on the market in the U.S. already offer this feature, but it is interesting that Google has baked tethering into the OS itself.

The second feature is a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot creator. A small handful of devices already offer this feature. Similar to tethering, it allows Wi-Fi equipped devices to share the smartphone's data connection -- only without the USB cable required for tethering. A number of smartphones announced in the last few weeks offer this feature, such as the HTC EVO 4G and Motorola Droid X.

With Android 2.2 Froyo installed, Nexus One users will be able to download and install Adobe's Flash Player Mobile 10.1, which requires Android 2.2. This will of course allow the Nexus One to run Flash content through the browser.

Probably the most important aspect of Froyo, however, is its use of the Davlik Virtual Machine. This new code brings an enormous speed boost to Android. Google claims the operating system is as much as 4.5 times faster than it used to be. In my experience with early builds of Froyo, the speed improvements are real and not to be discounted. The Nexus One absolutely flies with Android 2.2 Froyo on board.

Happy updating!