Android 4.0.3 brings social stream hooks, camera upgrades
updated 03:05 pm EST, Fri December 16, 2011
Android 4.0.3 unveiled days later
Google promised a quick update to its new OS in Android 4.0.3. The new version is more than just a fix and introduces a programming interface for the social stream in contacts: a check-in app like Foursquare or a social network like Facebook can now either put their updates in or extract them from Android, including photos. Camera use also gets better by letting apps control image stabilization in video.
Other improvements let apps add color to events in the calendar on their own and boost content access for screen reader tools. Bluetooth, graphics, and spelling checks have been given their own "incremental" improvements.
Devices such as the Galaxy Nexus should get 4.0.3 in the "weeks ahead." Developers should already have access now. Google plans to make 4.0.3 the reference version of the OS going forward, hinting that any phones or tablets outside of the official phone will already have the upgrade.
