Android 2.3.4. and Google’s videochat.

We have been hearing some rumors about what’s new in version 2.3.4 of Android, and the one that was gaining strength in the final hours was the possibility that they will start to take advantage of new devices that are appearing with front camera. It seems that the arrival of videoconferencing with GTalk on devices with Google’s OS is absolutely imminent. Don’t forget that it was one of the features most desired by users. Now all the rumors are confirmed.

Google just announced the arrival of voice and video for GTalk on Android which means you can talk by voice or even video to any contact you have in this app through your smartphone and using connections and Wi-Fi and 3G/4G .

Once you upgrade your app and operating system you will see a video or voice button in the GTalk contact list. To initiate a call simply press that button. Also, the text conversation that you can keep with that contact up is displayed on the screen as if they were subtitles, so there’s no need to leave the video to read it.

On the other hand if you need to access the desktop or launch any other app  (having always in mind the importance of multitasking) the video will automatically pause, but not the voice, so we can continue the audio conversation while launching other apps, taking notes, looking for an address or whatever.

For now, Android 2.3.4 will be only available via OTA (Over The Air) for Nexus S, but Google says it will soon come to all the other smartphones with Gingerbread.

We don’t know if GTalk is the expected response to Apple’s FaceTime, but what we really know for sure is that Android improves day after day. Google is taking care of his OS and has no intention of shelving it!

Announcement appeared at Google Mobile blog last April 28th. We will see how apps like WhatsApp react – if they do; or those that might arrive too late, as Viber.