Google's latest Donut batch missing multitouch

Google has released the latest version of code for the 'Donut' branch of its Android mobile operating system, without the hoped-for multitouch capability.

Donut is a repository of code that will be fed into the next version of the open-source Android platform. It follows in the footsteps of 'Cupcake', which was merged with the main body of code in April. The current version of the OS is Android 1.5.

Google, which oversees Android development, issued the new code for Donut on Saturday. Developers on an XDA forum reacted to the launch by suggesting that the new Donut code would support multitouch. Multitouch, found in Apple's iPhone and other devices, enables users to use multiple fingers for zooming and rotating actions when interacting with applications.

However, Google Android framework developer Romain Guy has rebutted the multitouch claims, and has underlined that Donut is not a release candidate for the next update to the mobile OS.

He wrote in a blog posted on Sunday on to the Android Developers Google group: "Donut is not Android 2.0, and there's no multitouch support in Donut."

As Donut is a development branch, its code is there as a testbed and is not guaranteed to appear in the main Android OS.

The Android developers have not issued a list of changes that are in the new Donut code. However, developers on the XDA forum speculated that features include universal search and CDMA support.

A native application development kit was released for Android coders in June.

Original article: Google releases Donut code, denies multitouch from ZDNet UK