Android Market to Get Boost With Android 2.3 “Gingerbread”

Rumor has it Google will launch its next version of Android, Android 2.3 “Gingerbread”, sometime very soon.  Nobody knows quite what’s in the new release exactly, but there’s been plenty of rumors regarding what kinds of tricks the company might pull out.

According to Android leaks site Android Police, Google has quietly rolled out a significant overhaul to its Android Market that may constitute part of the gingerbready goodness.

Under the new rules and regulations, apps must have a 512w x 512h, 24 bit PNG or JPEG (no alpha) high-resolution icon.  Developers now also get to put up a single 1024w x 500h, 24 bit PNG or JPEG (no alpha).  They can also put a link to a promotional video on YouTube.

While only one is mandatory, developers can currently add two 320w x 480h, 480w x 854h, or 480w x 800h graphics.  That count will soon be increased to eight images.

Overall these updates should help to improve the app market and make it more on par with Apple’s iTunes App store.  They also should help users better decide on apps for their high-res Android smart phones.

According to a letter from Google to its developers:

You are able to submit these from the Developer Console, similar to descriptions. In the Market app, these notes will appear under the app description as “Recent changes.”

So does that mean that the company is finally going to roll out Gingerbread?  And will the carriers and hardware partners update their handsets in a timely fashion?  We can only hope.