Google launches Android 2.2 SDK

Android 2.2 contains a series of improvements over previous versions

Google has launched a software development kit (SDK) for its Android 2.2 operating system, known as Froyo, which supports application installation on external storage devices.

Xavier Ducrohet, Android SDK technical lead, urged developers to update to the new version using the SDK manager.

Support for application installation on external storage devices like SD cards should give users room for more apps on their phones, according to Google engineer Suchi Amalapurapu.

It will also benefit certain categories, like games, that "need huge assets" , he added.

"The Manage Applications’ screen in the Settings app now has an On SD Card tab. The sizes listed in Manage Applications only include the space taken by the application on internal storage," Amalapurapu noted.

The Application Info screen now has a 'move to SD card' or 'move to phone' button, but this is often disabled. Copy-protected apps and updates to system apps cannot be moved to the SD card, nor can those which do not specify that they work on the SD card.

Android 2.2 contains a series of improvements over earlier versions, including support for making the handset a portable hotspot and support for Adobe Flash within the browser, according to Google.