Version 2.2 of Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android operating system (code name: Froyo) has made its debut in Nexus One handsets, and according to early reviews, it offers some noticeable improvements.

After trying out the new version of the OS, Ryan Paul at Ars Technica writes that it performs better overall than the current version, and it comes with some useful new features and user interface improvements. "Subjectively, just about everything in Android 2.2 feels faster and smoother. In some applications where I used to commonly notice lag when switching between tabs or waiting for lists to populate, general performance is perceivably better," Paul writes. "Switching between applications is faster and less intrusive."

New features include batch updating and support for hotspot and USB tethering. Users will be able to share the handset's connection with other devices, with a security setting for WPA2 encryption.

While some of the newest features make Android more enterprise-friendly than it was before, it is still no Blackberry, writes Brad Reed at NetworkWorld.  The new version gives IT administrators more control, including the ability to remotely wipe clean devices that fall into the wrong hands and the ability to make sure password policies are followed. When it comes to security, though, IT departments might remain wary.

"[Users] shouldn't expect to have full access to all corporate applications, as Google's open source mobile platform will likely never match up with the security prowess of Research in Motion's BlackBerry devices," Reed writes.

Reed points out that since the Android app market doesn't filter, there is the possibility that users could put company data at risk if they aren't vigilant about the permissions they grant when downloading apps.

For more:
- see Ryan Paul's review at Ars Technica
- see Brad Reed's article at NetworkWorld

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