Hasta La Gadget!

LAS VEGAS — Google’s Android development team has previewed the upcoming “Honeycomb” version of its mobile operating system. Honeycomb is the first version of Android to be tailored for larger-screened tablet computers.

We first got a glimpse of Honeycomb when Android boss Andy Rubin showed of off a Motorola tablet prototype in December last year. And Motorola’s new Xoom tablet, a tablet without a price or a release date, will also run the tablet-centric OS.

The video shows that Honeycomb has much more than just a scaled-up smartphone UI, a complaint leveled at most Android tablets so far. It comes on like a desktop/smartphone hybrid, with friendly, finger-sized controls mixed with a desktop metaphor. It looks pretty neat, if sparse, although that’s to be expected with any Google software.

Here we see Gmail (much like the iPad-optimized version) and the new 3D Google Maps, with vector and offline support. Google Voice comes into its own on a tablet, with video-calling supported to pretty much anyone with Gmail and a webcam, and you have access to Google Books.

When Android Honeycomb tablets finally ship, we’ll be excited to get a proper look. And one thing, Google: can you please fix up the font-rendering in Android? This is 2011, and your on-screen type looks like something from Windows 95.

A Sneak Peek of Android 3.0, Honeycomb [Google Mobile Blog]

See Also:

• Motorola Previews New Android Tablet, Droid Smartphone
• Honeycomb
• Video: Motorola Tablet Running Android 3.0 Honeycomb
• Motorola Teases Android Honeycomb Tablet for CES 2011