Android (operating system): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:21, 20 September 2013

Revision as of 09:48, 20 September 2013

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| website = {{URL|http://www.android.com/}}

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'''Android''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|n|.|d|r|ɔɪ|d}}; {{respell|an|droyd}}) is a [[Linux]]-basedmmmmbased [[mobile operating system|operating system]]<ref name="AndroidOverview" /> designed primarily for [[touchscreen]] mobile devices such as [[smartphone]]s and [[tablet computer]]s. Initially developed by Android, Inc., which [[Google]] backed financially and later bought in 2005,<ref name="AndroidInc">{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2005/tc20050817_0949_tc024.htm |title=Google Buys Android for Its Mobile Arsenal |last=Elgin |first=Ben |date=August 17, 2005 |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |publisher=Bloomberg |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5wk7sIvVb |archivedate=February 24, 2011 |accessdate=2012-02-20 |quote=In what could be a key move in its nascent wireless strategy, Google (GOOG) has quietly acquired startup Android, Inc.,&nbsp;...}}</ref> Android was unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of the [[Open Handset Alliance]]: a consortium of [[computer hardware|hardware]], software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing [[open standard]]s for mobile devices.<ref name="AndroidAnnouncement">{{cite press release |url=http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/press_110507.html |title=Industry Leaders Announce Open Platform for Mobile Devices |publisher=[[Open Handset Alliance]] |date=November 5, 2007 |accessdate=2012-02-17}}</ref> The [[HTC Dream|first Android-powered phone]] was sold in October 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=T-Mobile G1 Spec|url=http://www.gsmarena.com/t_mobile_g1-2533.php|work=Infosite and comparisons|publisher=GSM Arena|accessdate=September 12, 2012}}</ref>

Android is [[open source]] and Google releases the code under the [[Apache License]].<ref name="AndroidOverview">{{cite web |url=http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/android_overview.html |publisher=Open Handset Alliance |title=Android Overview |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref> This open-source code and permissive licensing allows the software to be freely modified and distributed by device manufacturers, wireless carriers and enthusiast developers. Additionally, Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("[[Mobile app|apps]]") that extend the functionality of devices, written primarily in a customized version of the [[Java (programming language)|Java]] programming language.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13580_3-9815495-39.html |title=Google's Android parts ways with Java industry group |work=[[CNET News]] |first=Stephen |last=Shankland |date=November 12, 2007 |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref> In October 2012, there were approximately 700,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from [[Google Play]], Android's primary app store, was 25 billion.<ref name="appstats-700000">{{cite web |url=http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Google-Play-Android-Apple-iOS,news-16235.html |title=Google Play Matches Apple's iOS With 700,000 Apps}}</ref><ref name="appstats-25billion">{{cite web |url=http://officialandroid.blogspot.ca/2012/09/google-play-hits-25-billion-downloads.html |title=Google Play hits 25 billion downloads &#124; Official Android Blog}}</ref> A developer survey conducted in April–May 2013 found that Android is the most popular platform for developers, used by 71% of the mobile developer population.<ref>Developer Economics Q3 2013 analyst report – http://www.visionmobile.com/DevEcon3Q13 – Retrieved July 2013</ref>

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Android, Inc. was founded in [[Palo Alto, California]] in October 2003 by [[Andy Rubin]] (co-founder of [[Danger (company)|Danger]]),<ref name="AndyRubin">{{Cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/technology/04google.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all |title=I, Robot: The Man Behind the Google Phone |last=Markoff |first=John |date=November 4, 2007 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref> [[Rich Miner]] (co-founder of Wildfire Communications, Inc.),<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/09/02/introducing_the_google_phone/ |title=Introducing the Google Phone |first=Scott |last=Kirsner |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=September 2, 2007 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20100104054533/http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/09/02/introducing_the_google_phone/ |archivedate=January 4, 2010 |accessdate=2012-02-15}}</ref> Nick Sears<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/04/mf_android/all/1 | title=How the Android Ecosystem Threatens the iPhone | work=Wired | date=April 2011 | accessdate=June 2, 2012 | author=Vogelstein, Fred}}</ref> (once VP at [[T-Mobile USA|T-Mobile]]), and Chris White (headed design and interface development at [[WebTV]])<ref name="AndroidInc" /> to develop, in Rubin's words "smarter mobile devices that are more aware of its owner's ___location and preferences".<ref name="AndroidInc" /> The early intentions of the company were to develop an advanced operating system for [[digital camera]]s, when it was realised that the market for the devices was not large enough, and diverted their efforts to producing a smartphone operating system to rival those of [[Symbian]] and [[Windows Mobile]] (Apple's [[iPhone]] had not been released at the time).<ref>{{cite web|author=Chris Welch |url=http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/16/4230468/android-originally-designed-for-cameras-before-smartphones |title=Before it took over smartphones, Android was originally destined for cameras |publisher=The Verge |date=2013-04-16 |accessdate=2013-05-01}}</ref> Despite the past accomplishments of the founders and early employees, Android Inc. operated secretly, revealing only that it was working on software for mobile phones.<ref name="AndroidInc" /> That same year, Rubin ran out of money. [[Steve Perlman]], a close friend of Rubin, brought him $10,000 in cash in an envelope and refused a stake in the company.<ref name="StevePerlman">{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/the-edison-of-silicon-valley-07272011.html |title=Steve Perlman's Wireless Fix |last=Vance |first=Ashlee |date=27 July 2011 |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |publisher=Bloomberg |accessdate=3 November 2012}}</ref>

[[Google]] acquired Android Inc. on August 17, 20102005, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Google. Key employees of Android Inc., including Rubin, Miner and White, stayed at the company after the acquisition.<ref name="AndroidInc" /> Not much was known about Android Inc. at the time, but many assumed that Google was planning to enter the mobile phone market with this move.<ref name="AndroidInc" /> At Google, the team led by Rubin developed a mobile device platform powered by the [[Linux kernel]]. Google marketed the platform to handset makers and [[Mobile network operator|carriers]] on the promise of providing a flexible, upgradable system. Google had lined up a series of hardware component and software partners and signaled to carriers that it was open to various degrees of cooperation on their part.<ref name="EngadgetMobileOS">{{cite web |url=http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/28/google-is-working-on-a-mobile-os-and-its-due-out-shortly |title=Google is working on a mobile OS, and it's due out shortly |last=Block |first=Ryan |work=[[Engadget]] |date=August 28, 2007 |accessdate=2012-02-17}}</ref><ref name="WSJ">{{cite news |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118602176520985718.html |title=Google Pushes Tailored Phones To Win Lucrative Ad Market |last1=Sharma |first1=Amol |first2=Kevin J. |last2=Delaney |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=August 2, 2007 |accessdate=2012-02-17}}</ref><ref name="DT">{{cite web |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070703031543/http://www.directtraffic.org/OnlineNews/Google_admits_to_mobile_phone_plan_18094880.html |archivedate=July 3, 2007 |url=http://www.directtraffic.org/OnlineNews/Google_admits_to_mobile_phone_plan_18094880.html |title=Google admits to mobile phone plan |work=directtraffic.org |publisher=Google News |date=March 20, 2007 |accessdate=2012-02-17}}</ref>

Speculation about Google's intention to enter the mobile communications market continued to build through December 2006.<ref name="McKay">{{Cite news |last=McKay |first=Martha |url=http://record-bergen.vlex.com/vid/iphone-phone-linksys-versatile-cordless-62885923 |title=Can iPhone become your phone?; Linksys introduces versatile line for cordless service |work=[[The Record (Bergen County)]] |page=L9 |date=December 21, 2006 |accessdate=2012-02-21 |quote=And don't hold your breath, but the same cell phone-obsessed tech watchers say it won't be long before Google jumps headfirst into the phone biz. Phone, anyone?}}</ref> Reports from the [[BBC]] and the ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' noted that Google wanted its search and applications on mobile phones and it was working hard to deliver that. Print and online media outlets soon reported rumors that Google was developing a Google-branded [[Handset#Telephony|handset]]. Some speculated that as Google was defining technical specifications, it was showing prototypes to cell phone manufacturers and network operators. In September 2007, ''[[InformationWeek]]'' covered an [[Evalueserve]] study reporting that Google had filed several patent applications in the area of mobile telephony.<ref name="IWpatents">{{cite news |url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201807587&cid=nl_IWK_daily |title=Google's Secret Patent Portfolio Predicts gPhone |last=Claburn |first=Thomas |work=[[InformationWeek]] |date=September 19, 2007 |accessdate=2012-02-17}}{{Dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref><ref name="MNpatents">{{cite web |url=http://www.moconews.net/entry/419-googles-strong-mobile-related-patent-portfolio |title=Google's Strong Mobile-Related Patent Portfolio |last=Pearce |first=James Quintana |work=mocoNews.net |date=September 20, 2007 |accessdate=2012-02-17}}</ref>