As you are aware the Google guys are all excited with their latest development that will take Android into the mobile tablet space with a Motorola tablet running the next generation Android operating system, Android 3.0 Honeycomb, which they showed off at D: Dive into Mobile, a video of which can be viewed (here).
However during that demo, as reported by Mat Bettinson, over at pcr-online, Andy Rubin gave us a quick teaser look at the upcoming Google Mobile Maps 5.0 along with announcing that Android 3.0 Honeycomb will make its debut on the Google Samsung Nexus S smartphone.
Rubin also stated that Android 3.0 Honeycomb will not be just an upgrade from Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but more of an OS that is targeted for larger display devices.
Google hasn’t stated a specific release date for Android 3.0 Honeycomb but apparently vendors in Taiwan have positioned Android 3.0 Honeycomb on their roadmaps for a release sometime in March or April next year.
When it comes to Google Mobile Maps 5.0 it adds more by using a 3D engine to deliver Maps as opposed to 2D image streaming, which means zooming should be somewhat smoother, and is apparently faster due to needing less data with the 3D vectors.
With Google Mobile Maps 5.0, Google will also lose their policy of not caching data which means the new application will retain where a user has been and will shows the Map even when not online.
However according to an article over on Android Community, not all Android devices will support Google Mobile Maps 5.0, as the devices which will support the updated version are…the Samsung Galaxy S, Motorola Droid X, Motorola Droid , Droid 2, HTC Droid Incredible, Google Nexus One obviously, T-Mobile G2 and the HTC EVO 4G.
Apparently Google Mobile Maps 5.0 should be out “in the coming days,” but will it be an OTA update, will it be released in the US and other markets simultaneously or will other markets have to wait?