What is the correct way of showing a new View with more detailed information from a ListView in Android? It's a topic that I can't find a solid answer for in either of these Android books.
For example a list of contact names, one is selected and a view shows their full details.
Do I launch a new activity for this or use a ViewFlipper?
Your approach is right. It's the recommended one. When designing an activity, it's suggested to use this paradigm:
One activity = one thing to do.
On the Notepad tutorial app, a new activity is launched to view the details of a list item.
Anyway, the ViewFlipper is another possible approach that keeps all the content in a single activity. This approach is suitable if you manage the Back key correctly.