As expected, Google has released an “early look” version of its SDK (software development kit) for mobile phones. The Eclipse-based Android SDK lets users write Java applications that run on Dalvik, a virtual machine designed to run on top of Linux in embedded applications.

Few guessed the importance Java was to play last Monday, when Google announced Android. The completely open source stack aims to enable developers to write mobile phone applications that make use of Google services, thus expanding Google's Maps, Mail, Search, LocalSearch, YouTube, and other services beyond the confines of the public Internet.

In retrospective, some clue as to the importance of Java was hinted at by the presence of several Java specialists — including Aplix and Esmertec — among the founders of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), the industry group formed to maintain and promote Android. Another clue might have come a year ago, when Sun GPL'd Java, simultaneously launching a “Mobile and Embedded Community” focused largely on a phoneME project.

The “early look” SDK can be found here. The main Android page, meanwhile, has lots of videos demonstrating Android phone capabilities, including the ones shown below — click each to play.

 
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