2. What is Android?
• Android is a Linux-based operating
system designed primarily for touchscreen mobile
devices such as smartphones and tablet
computers. Initially developed by Android, Inc.,
which Google backed financially and later
purchased in 2005,Android was unveiled in 2007
along with the founding of the Open Handset
Alliance: a consortium of hardware, software,
and telecommunication companies devoted to
advancing open standards for mobile devices.The
first Android-powered phone was sold in October
2008.
3. • Android is open source and Google releases the code under
the Apache License.[12] 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
("apps") that extend the functionality of devices, written
primarily in a customized version of the Java programming
language.[13] 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.[14][15]
4. History of Android
• Android, Inc. was founded in Palo Alto, California in
October 2003 by Andy Rubin (co-founder
of Danger),[22] Rich Miner (co-founder of Wildfire
Communications, Inc.),[23] Nick Sears[24] (once VP at T-
Mobile),[25] and Chris White (headed design and interface
development at WebTV)[9] to develop, in Rubin's words
"smarter mobile devices that are more aware of its owner's
location and preferences".[9] 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.[9] 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.[26]
5. Interface
• Android's user interface is based on direct manipulation, using
touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like
swiping, tapping, pinching and reverse pinching to manipulate on-
screen objects. The response to user input is designed to be
immediate and provides a fluid touch interface, often using the
vibration capabilities of the device to provide haptic feedback to the
user. Internal hardware such
as accelerometers,gyroscopes and proximity sensors are used by
some applications to respond to additional user actions, for
example adjusting the screen from portrait to landscape depending
on how the device is oriented, or allowing the user to steer a
vehicle in a racing game by rotating the device, simulating control of
a steering wheel
7. MANUFACTURER USES ANDROID?
• Android is a open source platform which can be
used by any phone manufacturers on the
world.Unlike other operating systems for mobile
phones like iOS(Operating system by apple for
iPhone, iPad and other iDevices.) Symbain is
owned by Nokia and it comes only on Nokia
Handsets.Android can be used by any
manufacturer. So that if the latest research is to
be believed over half of the smartphones in usa
run on android.
9. Usage share of Android versions
• Usage share of the different versions as of
December 3, 2012
• Usage share of the different versions as of
February 5, 2013.[133] Most Android devices to
date still run the older OS version
2.3 Gingerbread that was released on
December 6, 2010, due to most lower-end
devices still being released with it.
10. Versions
Distribution
Version Code name Release date API level (February 5,
2013)
November 13,
4.2 Jelly Bean 17 1.4%
2012
4.1.x Jelly Bean July 9, 2012 16 12.2%
Ice Cream December 16,
4.0.x 15 29.0%
Sandwich 2011
3.2 Honeycomb July 15, 2011 13 1.0%
3.1 Honeycomb May 10, 2011 12 0.3%
February 9,
2.3.3–2.3.7 Gingerbread 10 45.4%
2011
December 6,
2.3–2.3.2 Gingerbread 9 0.2%
2010
2.2 Froyo May 20, 2010 8 8.1%
October 26,
2.0–2.1 Eclair 7 2.2%
2009
September 15,
1.6 Donut 4 0.2%
2009
11. Applications
• Android has a growing selection of third party applications, which can be
acquired by users either through an app store such as Google Play or
the Amazon Appstore, or by downloading and installing the
application's APK file from a third-party site.] The Play Store application
allows users to browse, download and update apps published by Google
and third-party developers, and is pre-installed on devices that comply
with Google's compatibility requirements. The app filters the list of
available applications to those that are compatible with the user's device,
and developers may restrict their applications to particular carriers or
countries for business reasons.Purchases of unwanted applications can be
refunded within 15 minutes of the time of download,and some carriers
offer direct carrier billing for Google Play application purchases, where the
cost of the application is added to the user's monthly bill. As of September
2012, there were more than 675,000 apps available for Android, and the
estimated number of applications downloaded from the Play Store was 25
billion.
12. • Applications are developed in the Java language using the Android
software development kit (SDK). The SDK includes a comprehensive
set of development tools,[47]including a debugger, software
libraries, a handset emulator based on QEMU, documentation,
sample code, and tutorials. The officially supported integrated
development environment (IDE) is Eclipse using the Android
Development Tools (ADT) plugin. Other development tools are
available, including a Native Development Kit for applications or
extensions in C or C++, Google App Inventor, a visual environment
for novice programmers, and various cross platform mobile web
applications frameworks.
• In order to work around limitations on reaching Google services due
to Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China, Android
devices sold in the PRC are generally customized to use state
approved services instead.[48]
13. Android Phones:
• An Android phone is a smartphone running on
Google's open-source Android operating
system. Many different manufacturers make
Android phones, including HTC, Motorola, and
Samsung. Dozens and dozens of different
Android phones are now available, and all of
the major cellular carriers in the U.S. offer
Android phones.
14. • An Android™ phone, sometimes called a Droid™ phone, is a
mobile telephone that uses the Google-developed
Android™ operating system. This operating system has
become a popular option in recent years for so-called
"smart phones," because developers and manufacturers
may freely customize it to their specific needs. This
customization means that different Android™ phones can
have widely varying user interfaces. Most smart phones —
including those using competing operating systems — offer
similar overall capabilities, however, including Internet
browsing, personal information management, video
streaming, and access to a large repository of freeware and
payware applications.
15. Multitasking
• An Android™ phone can run multiple applications
at the same time in the background, making
multitasking easier. This makes the functionality
of the phone more fluid than some competing
platforms, although the extent of this capability
depends on the hardware of the individual
phone. Some handsets use multicore processors,
which are more useful for "power users" who
need their phones to run multiple simultaneous
operations.
16. SDK
• Android™ offers a Software Development Kit (SDK) to
help developers create functional applications. While
some parts of the Android™ operating system are
protected under the Apache™ License to guard against
applications that could compromise the phones' basic
functionality, much of it is released under the General
Public License, which invites developers to freely make
modifications. The SDK includes extensive resources
and tools to facilitate this sort of development. It is
updated regularly, together with the operating system
itself, and a priority is placed upon supporting work on
both newer and older versions of Android™.
17. To choose best Android
• Select a cellular carrier that is currently carrying Android phones. Some carriers
may have a carrier-specific version of Android, which could ultimately impact your
decision.
• Decide between a multi-touch display, a traditional physical QWERTY keyboard,
or a hybrid; this will greatly narrow down your search.
• Decide on the size and quality of the screen. Four inches has become the norm for
multi-touch screens on smartphones, though they can go as big as five inches and
as small as three. If you plan on watching HD video, 1280 x 720 (720p), is ideal.
Any lower than that and the screen will be more pixelated and worse. Avoid lower
than 320 x 480 resolution.
• Choosing a phone with the technology you require is key. For example,
if you would like to take high quality pictures, a device with a high mega-pixel camera
is ideal. Likewise, if you’d like to use specific third-party peripherals, Bluetooth
technology or integrated ports may be necessary.
18. • Consider the memory capacity. Those that want to store music, videos,
photos, and other files on their device will require higher internal memory
storage or the ability to add expandable memory storage.
• Consider the CPU (or processor) that the phone runs on. This is very
important, as a higher CPU operating frequency allows you to do heavier
multitasking and assures quicker global phone responsiveness and
operation. A Quad Core processor is the fastest currently available. It is
ideal if you plan to play games with amazing graphics. If you are on a
budget but still want to use your phone for games, a Dual Core
smartphone is also good. Unless you are only using the phone for the bare
essentials, your Android performance will be hindered by any processor
less than 1Ghz Single Core.
• Pick a device that supports what most carriers refer to as “multitasking”.
This refers to the ability to use voice and data simultaneously. This is
necessary to take advantage of the Android operating system’s full
capabilities.
19. • Select a phone that meets your requirements in terms of weight
and size. Android devices come in various sizes, ranging from tall,
slender touch screens, to more compact designs. Selecting a device
with a larger display will sacrifice portability and vice versa.
• Compare the battery talk time and standby stats. For those that
are using their device for work or other situations where a long
lasting battery is key, this will be a major consideration when
comparing devices.
• Selecting a device that is capable of handling 4G technology is
necessary to take advantage of 4G networks, which all carriers will
be moving to soon. If you purchase a device that is only 3G-
capable, you will not be able to benefit from the faster 4G networks
once they become available.
