We've been able to confirm in a chat with Dell spokesfolks this evening that the lovely Mini 5 won't ship with the Android 1.6 build (also known as Donut) that we've seen so far -- instead, it'll be running "something newer." They wouldn't say what that newer version would be -- and to be fair, we're not sure they even knew since Android is always a moving target on account of Google's breakneck development pace -- but it was specifically mentioned that Flash compatibility was something they had on their radar, suggesting that something really, really fresh might be needed. Then again, they also mentioned that the giant phone / MID / thingamajig is going to be totally upgradeable, something that fellow Android skinners HTC and Motorola have both had to reassure the Android-buying public over. How this all shakes out remains to be seen, but let's put it this way: Eclair, at minimum, seems to be a lock by the time the Mini 5 is on a shelf near you.

Dell Mini 5 will run 'something newer' than Android 1.6 at launch originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments