Android 3 (gingerbread) details crumble out

While most are stressing about getting to Android 2.1 and some are starting to enjoy Android 2.2, thoughts are already turning to Android 3.0 it seems.

Mobile-review.com’s Eldar Murtazin has been spilling the beans on his Russian podcast, that thankfully the chaps over at unwiredview.com have translated and decoded.

According to the translation, Gingerbread aka Android 3.0 will be released around mid October time with the first wave of handsets shipping November/December - incidentally around the same time as the expected launch date for the first Windows Phone 7 handsets and the first MeeGo handsets from Nokia.

Like Windows Phone 7, the new version of the OS will come with a series of minimum hardware specs, in this case 1GHZ CPU, 512MB of RAM, displays from 3.5-inch and higher.  

The resolution is going to be better too for devices (read tablets) with screens bigger than 4-inches.

Interestingly, however, there is talk of a "completely revamped user interface" that according to Murtazin means that the need for "skins" like HTC's Sense UI and Motorola's Motoblur could be out.

Finally Android is about to split if the chatter is correct. Going forward there would be two branches, reports Unwiredview; 3.0 for top of the line/high end devices. Cheap, low-end mass market handsets will keep Android 2.1/2.2.

We will keep you posted.