Google has released the Android 2.1 SDK, allowing Motorola and HTC to bring the more advanced features found on the Nexus One to their own smartphones.
It's the first time Google has released an SDK after the release of the operating system, which debuted on Google's recently launched Nexus One.
Perhaps wary of upsetting hardware partners such as Motorola and HTC, Google has called Android 2.1 a "minor platform release", going so far as to point developers to the release notes for Android 2.0 for a list of significant features.
However, that may be a touch disingenuous given that the new features were heavily touted by Google at the launch of the Nexus One. Chief among these is the extension of Google's voice recognition technology to every aspect of the device.
This allows people to enter words in any text field - whether that's a text messages, email, tweet or Facebook post - simply by speaking.
Developers can also look forward to live wallpapers - which can be interacted with via the touchscreen - a new launcher, more home screens, and some WebKit changes. There's also the usual raft of bug fixes
