Gingerbread vs. Ice Cream Sandwich: A Technical Comparison

Did you know that the technical differences between the two popular versions of the Android OS platform, Gingerbread & Ice Cream Sandwich, concern not only an app developer but also a common mobile device user? If reports are to be believed, the difference in the technicalities of the two dessert codenamed platforms of Android play an important role in determining their user experience. Also, the technical differentiation also assists a user in choosing the right platform to suit his/her mobile needs. Below is an elaborate comparative study of Gingerbread & Ice Cream Sandwich versions of the Android operating system.

A general perception among the users is that since Ice Cream Sandwich is an updated version of Android, it has several compelling features that are absent in Gingerbread. However, it is to be noted here that the software used in Gingerbread is more stable and hence durable when compared with that of Ice Cream Sandwich. While the latter maybe more intensive in the field of resource usage, the former allows the running of applications that require greater CPU power, use more RAM, and run an enhanced number of network activities.

However, Ice Cream Sandwich still wins the attention of a larger user base because of the new feel & look provided by its new user interface. Both the platform and the application layer of the updated Ice Cream Sandwich have been redesigned; this means that more than thousand icons existing in previous versions of Android OS platform have been modified, leading to the addition of app backgrounds & new wallpapers in Ice Cream Sandwich. Any application developer or individual user who deals with graphical images or structures at random, prefers the Ice Cream Sandwich platform to other versions of Android.

Besides its redesigned UI, Ice Cream Sandwich also scores over Gingerbread in other technical segments such as an activity manager. This tool displays all the apps that are running on a device in the form of thumbnails in a list. This makes it easier for users, who can easily close running activities by swiping them out of the current list. And one cannot ignore the importance of the face recognition feature introduced in Ice Cream Sandwich; known as ‘Face Unlock’, this app recognizes the face of a user to unlock a mobile device. However, in order to make full use of this feature, a user must be equipped with a device that has a front facing camera. Transcription of voice messages is also enabled with use of the Ice Cream Sandwich; the new voice mail feature on this platform is rather visual and thus helps in establishing the identity of the device owner.

Hence, it is clear from the above discussion that it is chiefly the smooth user interface of the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android OS platform that has led to the diminishing popularity of the Gingerbread version. But the accelerated hardware used in Ice Cream Sandwich often discourages people to deploy the new updated version of Android, as fast hardware leads to greater draining out of battery charge. While both the Gingerbread and the Ice Cream Sandwich versions have their share of advantages & disadvantages for app developers & common users, it has been declared that a person dealing with graphics must work on the updated Ice Cream Sandwich platform rather than being loyal to the Gingerbread platform.