Android
Android is an operating system designed primarily for mobile phones and tablets.
Android is a Linux-based operating system which was initially developed by Android Inc. and was later bought by Google. Today, Android is the number 1 operating system in the world. More than a million Droid devices are activated every 24 hours. Android devices in the base outnumber iPhones in every country in the world.
Android devices are made by a variety of smart phone manufacturers, including Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony and many more.
Why Android Versions are Named After Sweet Foods
In 2007, the Google Operating Systems for mobile phones was first released as open-source software. Open Source software is free software that can be used by any developer as a starting point for what they want to achieve with their app.
In 2009, the first version was made available to the public. At the time, it was called Android 1.5 or, more commonly, “Cupcake.” Cupcake was followed by Android 1.6 (“Donut” ) and succeeded by the 2 series starting at Android 2.0 or Éclair.
As you may have noticed, the software follows a specific ( and slightly bizarre ) sweet food format as concerns the progression of the name of its operating system version. Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly bean are the respective versions that Google had developed over the years. Can you see the trend ? Android Operating System versions are named sequentially, according to the alphabet, starting with C for Cupcake, D for Donut and so on.
Why Australian users Love Android
One thing many users love about the Android operating system is the numerous apps that can be downloaded from the Play Store, free of charge! Android users tend to love all the things that you can do with your mobile phone to personalize it, including customizing homepages, the number of screens to store apps on, the way widgets are configured etc etc etc. Almost every aspect of the Android OS can be personalized in some way.
Why Developers Love Android
Android is a favorite for developers and programmers because it is based on open source software. This means that they can take hold of the software and further develop or build an application from it. For developers, this cuts out the boring bits of coding ( the basic bits have been done before by someone else and can be adapted and reused. ) This allows them to get their idea and application to market more quickly and, as a result, to start making money sooner.
Why Manufacturers Love Android
For mobile phone manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC, Android is the most preferred operating system for their mobile phones because it is built specially for today’s touchscreen phones. Android gives them a chance to compete with Apple without having to invest millions of dollars in developing their own Operating System. Unfortunately, Apple’s recent series of lawsuits for Android patent infringements has offset some of this benefit and pushed manufacturers like Samsung in to offering alternatives to their Android devices
Android Competition
Android’s two biggest competitors in the market when it comes to mobile phones’ operating system, are Windows Phone 8 and iOS. Windows Phone OS is known for its live tiles on the home screens while iOS is known for its simple design.
The biggest advantage of Android to its two rivals is its nature of being open-source software. With that, hundreds and thousands of applications are developed by programmers and developers alike.
Current Android Version
Currently, the latest and most powerful version of Android OS is the Jellybean. Jellybean is the most powerful version of the Android OS. It’s equipped with a faster user interface than ever before and various new features such as offline voice typing, Google Now ( speech based search )and much more. However, Jellybean is not yet fully rolled out in the market unlike its predecessor, Ice Cream Sandwich.
In the Top 7 Whatphone Mobile phones, the Samsung Note II, Samsung Galaxy SIII, Samsung Galaxy SII and HTC One X are powered by either Ice Cream Sandwich or Jellybean. Those still running ICS can all be upgraded to the Jellybean OS.