Despite what Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) says, the OS, designed specifically for tablets, could give the iPad a real run for its money if the hardware is up to par too. (See Apple Slams Tablet Rivals as its Q1 Soars.)
Here's just a few reasons why:
- The new user interface is intuitive and interactive, and brings data-driven widgets into the mix
- A new button specifically for multitasking
- A new set of developer APIs mean that apps will be built especially for tablets, not ported from smart phones
- The RenderScript graphics engine makes videos 3-D
- Detailed notifications add to the experience, not interrupt it
- App Fragments -- actually a good thing, they let users see different views of apps like Gmail
- Gmail!
Now the big question is, what will iOS 5 bring with it?
— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile
Google didn't discuss smart phones much, but director of mobile products Hugo Barra said it's working to bring Honeycomb to smart phones too.