Latest Apache HttpClient in Android SDK

Question

Android SDK 4.0.3 is currently packaging Apache's HttpClient 4.1.1 library. I need to use some functionality which is there in the latest HttpClient 4.1.3 only.
- Is there a way I can update my SDK?
- Where can I know if there are any plans in the future SDKs to package the newer HttpClient?
- Is there any elegant work around? (I have already tried the httpclientandroidlib http://code.google.com/p/httpclientandroidlib - but I want to explore other options)

Any pointers appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

Is there a way I can update my SDK?

Only by building your own firmware and distributing that firmware to your own phones.

With Android, HttpClient is on the device, and for backwards compatibility, the core Android team has not updated HttpClient past the version it had back with Android 1.0.

Where can I know if there are any plans in the future SDKs to package the newer HttpClient?

You can get a job at Google, go work for the core Android team, and ask. Otherwise, Google makes very few announcements about Android changes.

That being said, since they have not updated it since Android 1.0, and since they do not recommend using HttpClient, the odds seem low to me that they will upgrade HttpClient at all.

Is there any elegant work around?

You linked to one, which does the only thing really possible -- refactor HttpClient into its own package, so it can work side-by-side with the version baked into Android. I have not tried this library, but if it works as advertised, it seems to do a very thorough job.