Difference Between Android 1.5 and Android 2.1

Android 1.5 vs Android 2.1

Even though Google’s Android is routinely updated, the version numbers of the releases that users get are not really sequential. Android 1.5 is the first update after the initial release and is called ‘Cupcake’ while version 2.1 is named ‘Éclair’ and is the fourth update after 1.6 and 2.0. Since 2.1 came much later than 1.5, it is expected that a lot has changed; starting with hardware and code optimizations to make the entire device faster and more efficient.

As part of the ongoing development of Google, the user interface of Android has been modified quite a few times; therefore the user interface of version 1.5 is not identical to that of 2.1. The changes were implemented to increase intuitiveness of the interface and make it more user friendly. Aside from the changes on screen, Android 2.1 also adds support for a lot more screen resolutions compared to Android 1.5; not that you can take advantage of this since most phones only use a single resolution. But the added resolutions give manufacturers more freedom in designing their units.

Android was said to be multi-touch capable but the original Android and even 1.5 does not have this feature. As most Android phones rely on a touch sensitive screen for majority of its input, it is one area where improvements are greatly appreciated. Multi-touch capability allows the device to track two or more distinct pressure points on the screen. This enables such features as pinch to zoom and many more. It is said that Google did not activate this feature in earlier versions because they feared that they may infringe on some patents. There are ways to partially activate multi-touch in 1.5 but those are not needed in 2.1 as multi-touch is activated and used by many applications.

A more distinct difference between the two versions of Android is the presence of Microsoft Exchange support in 2.1. This has been a major shortcoming of Android since it was released as support for corporate email is one of the essential features for business users. It’s addition in version 2.1 made Android a more viable option as a smartphone.

Summary:

1. Android 2.1 has a lot more optimizations compared to 1.5

2. The user interface of 2.1 is very different from 1.5

3. Android 2.1 supports more resolutions than Android 1.5

4. Android 2.1 supports multi-touch while Android 1.5 does not

5. Android 2.1 has Microsoft Exchange support while Android 1.5 does not

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