Introduction To Android And Its History

Introduction To Android

More and more people use smart mobile in the world has of today than ever before. Thirst of availability, performance and connectivity in the smart phones is also rising. Android is one of the smart phone Operating Systems (OS) that are providing the latest functionalities.

Android is a Linux based operating system it is designed primarily for touch screen mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet computers. The operating system has developed a lot in last 15 years starting from black and white phones to recent smart phones or mini computers. One of the most widely used mobile OS these days is android. The android is software that was founded in Palo Alto of California in 2003.

Numerous drivers and libraries have been modified or introduced in android so that it can perform more effectively and efficiently on mobile phones as compared to Linux 2.6.Some libraries have their origins in open source project.Android association decided to build their own c library and java runtime engine to stay away from the licensing issue.The goal of android is to boast their infrastructure with the limited resources offered on smart phones.Android can be pronounced as the best operating environment as it is providing the middleware components,application and integerating the OS.

To sum up,the Android operating environment can be best described as an open platform for mobile expansion and growth,hardware reference design for mobile devices,a system ran by a revised Linux 2.6 Kernel,arun time environment and an application and User Interface(UI) framework.A world class and an outstanding platform have been given to the developers of android to make their applications for and users.Moreover,all the latest media comparison formats are supported by android.

History Of Android

It was in July 2005 that Google purchased a company called Android which was headed by several mobile headshots. In 2007 Google created a sensation by announcing of working on a phone as well as a new operating system based on the Linux Kernel. In the month of September-October, it released its first T-Mobile G-1 in September 2008. It became famous as HTC Dream worldwide. The release of its updated version happened in February 2009. However, it did not have any high-calorie code attached to it and was not truly interactive. Nevertheless, it was the birth of the Android and showed the promise of Google apps like Google maps, Gmail, YouTube; ability to list apps and games and widgets in their nascent stage.

• Improving and enriching the UI to maximize large screen usage.
• On-screen buttons replaced the hardware buttons.
• Widgets became bigger and bolder.
• Tabbed browsing added to the web browser. Private browsing added for enhanced security.
• Apps like Gmail and YouTube redesigned to look good on large screens.
• HTTP live streaming added.

April 2009

The first version of Android to showcase the real power of the platform, it also initiated the tradition of sugary-code Operating System names. Showcasing some significant updates, few of its key features were:

• The first taste of on-screen keyboards as an alternative to physical ones.
• Shorts cuts and widgets including third-party ones were present on the home screen. You could customize the screen to your taste.
• The camera could video record as well for the first time. You also gained the ability to upload videos to YouTube and photos to Picasa directly.
• Introduction of the Calendar and the Music widgets along with a separate app for Google Talk.
• Auto-rotation feature added for a smoother landscape-to portrait transition.
• Enhanced browser speed along with copy-paste support.

September 2009

Released on end of September 2009, the donut version again showcased some noteworthy changes. The revolutionary feature was the addition of CMDA support which turned out to be a crowd-puller. A trending technology with American mobile networks of that time, it brought in various specialties like:

• Multiple screen resolution got introduced facilitating the availability of Android devices flaunting different screen sizes.
• The ‘Beta’ tag along with the original black theme was dropped to give way to a brighter white, green or gray palette
• Google map navigation along with the addition of turn by turn satellite navigation support.
• The Universal Search function was enhanced. You could pinpoint apps or contacts on the phone or quickly search the Web.
• Improved video aspects, text to speech support and enhanced user experience were other sugar coatings validating the dessert inspired OS names.

November 2009

• It was released shortly after Donut in November 2009 and its improved version 2.1 Éclair introduced in January 2010. The improved version had bug fixes as well as new APIs to play with. While it did not add any significant features, its highlights included
• The Web browser was visually updated
• Multi-touch support mechanism introduced.
• The camera provided both flash and digital options.
• A unified box for Android and support for multiple Google accounts added.
• With bountiful animations, the gallery received a delightful update.
• Google voice got introduced.
• You could now search within text messages.

May 2010

• The inclusion of Flash and sheer speed is what distinguishes this version. Noteworthy features of the release were:
• Ability to use the phone Flash function in videos as well.
• Bluetooth’s compatibility improved with docks and car speakers.
• Home screen was redesigned to enhance and streamline the functionality of the device.
• Portable Wi-Fi enables sharing of the device’s 3G connection with any other devices.

December 2010

• This version release was a quiet affair. However, it was this version which paved the way for Android to move to the core of the mobility market. Looking new and fresh in numerous ways, some of its hallmark features are:
• The NFC (Near Field Communication) Support, introduced.
• SIP feature for internet calling introduced
• Video call support added via the front camera.
• An Intelligent User Interface added
• The on-screen keyboard enhanced for use along with more comfortable copy/paste option.
• An overhaul of the UI for better battery life and reduction of screen burn-in.
• Features related to social network introduced.

May 2011

• This version of the Android was introduced merely to fit the OS on the large screen of the tablet. It never saw the mobile platform. Its features included:
• Improving and enriching the UI to maximize large screen usage.
• On-screen buttons replaced the hardware buttons.
• Widgets became bigger and bolder.
• Tabbed browsing added to the web browser. Private browsing added for enhanced security.
• Apps like Gmail and YouTube redesigned to look good on large screens.
• HTTP live streaming added.

May 2011

• This OS version name was announced at the Google I/O conference in May 2011. Including several bug fixes, it synthesized the tablet platform (Honeycomb) with the mobile platform but the sci-fi look was toned down. It introduces several new and improved features like:
• Android was given a significant redesign with the Holo theme.
• On-screen navigation feature
• Phone feature unlocked via face recognition.
• A faster and smoother browser.
• Ability to resize widgets.
• Data traffic monitor introduced to help track data usage and set warnings and limits to it.
• Respond to the incoming call with a template or customized message.
• Enhanced storage space for apps.
• Live video effects to make anyone look grotesquely disfigured for fun.
• Create folders on the Home screen by merely dropping apps atop one another.
• Keyboard, spell-checker, voice input, etc. all given an upgrade.

June 2012/ October 2012

• This version added few updates to Android. The most innovative aspect of it was the introduction of ‘Google Now’. Going by the name of ‘Jelly Bean’, its predictive feature and highly interactive notifications made it immensely popular. Flaunting a buttery smooth interface and enhanced performance, its other leading features are:
• Unique voice search feature where search queries get displayed as answers instead of the usual list of Google web links.
• All-new gesture mode for better accessibility to blind users. It allowed free navigation using speech, touch and swipe gestures.
• Lock screen widgets
• 4K resolution support
• Auto-complete feature for dial pad.
• In the 4.2 version, high dynamic range photography is introduced.
• The ‘interactive screensaver mode,’ Daydream was debuted.

September 2013

• Partnered with Nestle and launched after a special ad campaign, the KitKat version remains the most controversial release of the Android brand so far. The partnership with Nestle was done to get a trendy dessert name as the OS version name. The Jelly Bean feature was updated here. Despite not receiving many accolades, its hallmark features are:
• Translucent System UI
• Android’s performance was improved even on low-end hardware
• Google Hangout replaced the messaging app.
• Host Card Emulation (HCE) support introduced to make transactions more secure.
• Google Drive became a default app
• Numerous other performance and appearance improvements.

November 2014

• Android shed away the older DALVIK runtime with this version and introduced the new runtime Art with this version. Few of its hallmark features included:
• The new design philosophy ‘Material design’ was adopted. The design continues as Android future even today.
• With the launch of Android TV, the OS moved to the big screen.
• Android gaming became more immersive and visually captivating.
• The debut of Android at Work.
• Smart Lock system introduced.
• Raw image support made available.

September 2015

• Instead of focusing on makeovers, this version focused on maintenance. Nevertheless, it had some excellent additions. Few of its features are:
• A highly improved version of ‘Google Now.’
• Official fingerprint sensor support.
• Doze mode enabled to improve battery life drastically.
• Opt-in app permission.
• Ability to use a formatted MicroSD card as an internal storage with same security features.

June 2016

• With its features released beforehand, the public enjoyed playing their part in deciding on the operating system name. The name was made official in June 2016. Performance improvement and better battery management due to the Doze on-the-go feature was the crowd puller for this version. Other hallmark features are:
• The native multi-windowed support improved to facilitate multitasking.
• Support for Pixel Launcher added to the Google Assistant
• Night-light feature introduced
• The enhancement of Daydream VR mode inculcated.

OreoSmarter and faster than ever, the yet to be launched version has already started creating ripples. Available for select devices, this version is primarily about speed and efficiency. Not only is the speed expected to double here but pesky background activity is also streamlined to save drain of battery and data power. It also packs in some visual tweaks. With people waiting for it fervently, it looks to be already attracting a loyal crowd.

Android applications ar popular and number one because of its open architecture and the application can be installed and played on any devices and moreover, they are distributed beyond the Google Play Store (Android Market).