The Gingerbread release introduced support for near field communication (NFC)—used in mobile payment solutions—and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)—used in VoIP internet telephones.

A simplified color scheme with a black background gave vividness and contrast to the notification bar, menus, and other user interface components.

Improvements in menus and settings resulted in easier navigation and system control.

The Nexus S smartphone, released in December 2010, was the first phone from the Google Nexus line that ran Gingerbread, and also the first one from the line with built-in NFC functionality.

[6] Google ceased sign-in support for Gingerbread on September 27, 2021.