Introduction to Android
How Android started
Android is an operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It is developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google. It's is built on a Linux foundation. Google purchased the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., in 2005. The unveiling of the Android distribution on November 5, 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 84 hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.
This alliance shares a common goal of fostering innovation on mobile devices and giving consumers a far better user experience than much of what is available on today's mobile platforms. By providing developers a new level of openness that enables them to work more collaboratively, Android will accelerate the pace at which new and compelling mobile services are made available to consumers. Android is often symbolized by the green robot to the right.
Android has evolved rapidly since its launch. Google has named all projects after a dessert. The main releases are listed below, this is nothing you have to memorize, it's just to illustrate the rapid pace of development and all the innovations. Android is developed "on Internet time", that is much faster than the old style of development (for example Windows releases which are typically several years apart).
| Release | Date | Main features |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 Cupcake | 04/2009 | 3rd party keyboards, Widgets, video recording View more |
| 1.6 Donut | 09/2009 | Voice search, text to speech, higher screen resolution, turn by turn navigation View more |
| 2.0/2.1 Eclair | 10/2009, 01/2010 | Better sync, Exchange support, camera flash, Bluetooth 2.1, improved Calendar, Browser Support for more screen sizes View more |
| 2.2 Froyo | 05/2010 | improved performance, WiFi hotspot, better application launcher, apps on SD card, improved Market and update process. View more |
| 2.3 Gingerbread | 12/2010 | improved copy/paste, native VoIP calling, improved input, NFC support, front-facing camera, better power management View more |
| 3.0, 3.1, 3.2 Honeycomb | 02/2011, 05/2011, 07/2011 | Tablet-only version, System/Action bars, enhanced multi-tasking, better copy/paste, two-pane Calendar/Gmail/Contacts, Gallery, HW acceleration, multi-core CPU support. USB hosting, joysticks, gamepads, UI refinements, performance improvements, compatibility for non-tablet apps View more |
| 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich | 10/2011 | Support for both phones & tablets, virtual buttons, resizable widgets, easier-to-create folders, customizable launcher, major UI improvements, integrated screenshot capture, better voice integration, face unlock, tabbed browser, synch with Chrome, data usage monitor, built-in photo editor, Android Beam, People app View more |
| 4.1-4.3.1 Jelly Bean | 7/2012 | Visually, Jelly Bean's interface reflects a refinement of the "Holo" appearance introduced by Android 4.0 The default home screen of Jelly Bean received new features, such as the ability for other shortcuts and widgets on a home screen page to re-arrange themselves to fit an item being moved or resized. The notification system was also improved with the addition of "expandable" and "actionable" notifications; individual notifications can now display additional content or action buttons (such as "Call back" or "Message" on a missed call), accessible by dragging open the notification with a two finger gesture. Notifications can also be disabled individually per-app. View more |
| 4.4–4.4.4, 4.4W–4.4W.2 KitKat | 10/2013 | The overall interface of KitKat further downplays the "Holo" interface appearance introduced on 4.0, replacing remaining instances of blue accenting with greys and white (such as the status bar icons). Apps may trigger a translucent status and navigation bar appearance, or trigger a full screen mode ("Immersive mode") to hide them entirely. The launcher also received a refreshed appearance, with the implementation of the translucent navigation bars, and the replacement of the black backdrop in the application drawer with a translucent backdrop.Additionally, action overflow menu buttons in apps are always visible, even on devices with the deprecated "Menu" navigation key. In the Settings menu, users can now specify a default Home (launcher) and text messaging app. View more |
| 5.0–5.1.1 Lollipop | 11/2014 | Android 5.0 introduces a refreshed notification system. Individual notifications are now displayed on cards to adhere to the material design language, and batches of notifications can be grouped by the app that produced them. Notifications are now displayed on the lock screen as cards, and "heads up" notifications can also be displayed as large banners across the top of the screen, along with their respective action buttons. A do-not-disturb feature is also added for notifications. The recent apps menu was redesigned to use a three-dimensional stack of cards to represent open apps. Individual apps can also display multiple cards in the recents menu, such as for a web browser's open tabs. View more |
| 6.0–6.0.1 Marshmallow | 10/2015 | A new "Assist" API allows information from a currently-opened app, including text and a screenshot of the current screen, to be sent to a designated "assistant" application for analysis and processing. This system is used by the Google Search app feature "Google Now on Tap", which allows users to perform searches within the context of information currently being displayed on-screen. By holding the "Home" button or using a voice command, on-screen cards are generated which display information, suggestions, and actions related to the content. "Direct Share" allows Share menus to display recently-used combinations of contacts and an associated app as direct targets. View more |
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