Google has released a new version of the Android SDK, m5-rc14, making significant GUI and API changes that, in many cases, have been prompted by developer feedback. Layout animations have now been included, making transitions within and between apps smoother, a greater number of audio codecs are supported (including Ogg Vorbis and MIDI) and there’s a geocoding process that streamlines location searches in the mapping software.

There’s a gallery below if you’re interested in seeing the new visual prettiness Android is now blessed with; still, this is an early stage, so don’t be too harsh comparing it to glitzy competition like the iPhone.

You can see our exclusive footage of Android running on E28’s Linux cellphone here, shot at this week’s Mobile World Congress.

[Via Android SDK update intros app animation, Ogg support & GUI tweaks - PHONE Magazine]