Laptop Thoughts: Google Says That Froyo (Android 2.2) Is Not Meant for Tablets

"Don't tell Samsung and all the other companies who have Android-based tablets on the docket, but Google isn't exactly sure that Android is designed for use on tablet PCs. In fact, they're certain it's a mismatch. Hugo Barra, Director of Products for Mobile at Google, recently spoke on the issue of seeing Android pop up on so many tablets, despite the fact that Android was built from the ground-up for use on smartphones."

Google is making it clear in the press that Android 2.2 (Froyo) is an OS that has been designed for small devices (Smartphones only), and that they do not officially support it on tablets (eg. no Android Market access). However, vendors like Samsung have been tweaking Froyo to support larger screens, and pretty successfully at that. Rumours are that Android 3.0 *will* directly support larger screens, so until then, vendors are on their own. Something else to consider: rumours abound of an upcoming ChromeOS tablet from Google ...