Does the Motorola Droid Bionic use the Ice Cream Sandwich Launcher?

Ice Cream Sandwich is the next "big thing" in Android. We've been told that it combines all the advancements made in the Tablet and TV versions of Android (which is code named "Honeycomb") and brings all three back into one unified operating system, including the next iteration that will run on Android-powered smartphones.

Motorola was the launch partner for Android-powered tablets, which run the Honeycomb version of the operating system. Being a "launch partner" has some pretty big perks. You get to work closely with Google and you get your hands on the code before everyone else. When you're a launch partner, you have to stay very true to the "core" operating system. You can't load your own launcher, you can't add in bloatware.

It's nothing new. Google held the G1, [url=/tag/nexus-one]Nexus One[/url], and [url=/tag/nexus-s]Nexus S[/url] to their standards, and they've done the same with the Motorola XOOM tablet.

That said, it came as a surprise when I started seeing bits and pieces of the launcher from the XOOM tablet show up on the Droid Bionic smartphone. Specifically, when you add an item to the homescreen on the XOOM, you're presented with a light-blue grid of plus-signs and a glowing outline of what your icon or widget will look like when you drop it. Interestingly enough, it's the same on the Droid Bionic!

What do you think? Did Motorola include bits and pieces of Honeycomb in the Droid Bionic? Could this be the launcher from Ice Cream Sandwich? Let us know what you think in the comments!

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• joe levi

[dtechwiz]

By the way, all of this could be said in about 90 seconds, rather than 6 minutes.

[dtechwiz]

Wow Joe, you are rather misinformed. Nothing to indicate this is the ICS launcher; it's just an enhanced custom launcher that Moto made as part of Blur. They were clearly inspired by some Honeycomb touches. Not a huge deal.

[xHoodedReaper]

WTF!!! Man you have REALLY big hands you can just hold the Xoom in one hand like that :O

[skymitch89]

Ever think that the "resizable" widgets and the little "pluses" on the Xoom and Bionic might just be a Motorola thing? Motorola has had the "resizable" widgets on their phones for a while now, but before there weren't any little "pluses" but there were "lit" spots (areas on the screen where the widget would/could fit). Never know what kind of things will be included in ICS, but I'm doubtful that the Bionic has anything hinting to what ICS has to offer.

[skymitch89]

You forgot the T-Mo G1 which was the "Launch Device" for Android, and the Motorola Droid which is what really made Android BIG.

[Hale1990]

You people are so stupid!!! Great video, thanks for the hints.

[joness0000]

sounds plausible

[biggerben2010]

This is bullshit. Is he on crack. Bits of Honeycomb on ICS for bionic. It's running gingerbread with skin on top of it not ICS. Retarded man. This video overall suck.

[levibethel]

no...

[rdknght17]

glad i just wasted 3 minutes going over honeycomb

[SqeakyGoldfish]

I don't think the new Android launcher will look exactly like that... It will change.

[muneerkhan7]

Stop with all the hating