Android is Linux based mobile
operating system for mobile devices, such as mobiles and smart phones. It is developed
by Open Handset Alliance, led by Google and other companies.
The coming of Android changed the way
mobile phone market operated. It was developed as an open source where developers
and companies can use the common platform and develop applications known as ‘Apps’.
These Apps can be integrated with Android OS and can be installed on wide
variety of handsets, offered by companies like Sony, Samsung, HTC, LG, Google
Nexus, Huawei and many more. It gave a direct competition to Apple’s Smart
phone domination.
Users can download these applications
from Google Play, the online store on Android Platform. The app developer can
earn revenue by ads or making their apps chargeable.
Even small companies like MicroMax,
Karbonn Mobiles in India benefitted from the coming of Android OS. They now
offer a smart phone as low as Rs 4000 ($ 50)
Android is built on the open Linux Kernel.
Furthermore, it utilizes a custom virtual machine that was designed to optimize
memory and hardware resources in a mobile environment. Android is open source;
it can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge technologies as
they emerge. The platform will continue to evolve as the developer community
works together to build innovative mobile applications.
History
Android Inc. was founded in US in
2003. In August 2005 Google acquired Android making it a wholly owned
subsidiary of Google.
On November 5, 2007, the Open Handset
Alliance, a consortium of
several companies which include Broadcom Corporation, Google, HTC, Intel, LG, Marvell Technology Group, Motorola, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and Texas
Instruments unveiled
itself. The goal of the Open Handset Alliance is to develop open
standards for mobile
devices. On the same day, the Open Handset
Alliance also unveiled their first product, Android, a mobile device platform built
on the Linux kernel version 2.6.
On December 9, 2008, 14 new members joined,
including ARM Holdings, Atheros Communications, Asustek
Computer Inc, Garmin Ltd, Huawei Technologies, PacketVideo, Softbank, Sony, Toshiba Corp,
and Vodafone
Group Plc.
There had been several versions of
Android the current one is Android 4.0, i.e also known as Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS)
Future of Android
Google has recently acquired Motorola
Mobility for $12.5 Billion, this means that Google wants to enter the Smart
Phone market in a serious way. This can also slow down the pace of Android, as
till now Google had no incentive to hold the safe licenses of Android. But now
Google would want its phones to have exclusive features that can differentiate
it from its competitors.
But one thing is sure, coming of Android
reduced the dominance of Nokia, Blackberry to negligible; As they could not at
that time predict the potential of open source and touch
phones.
This pie chart shows US 2011 figure.
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