Android..Heir to the Apple Throne???

 

 Google’s new Google+ beta testing might not be yielding the results they have been hoping for ,but the success of their Android Os more than makes up for it.Some of the major phone manufacturers like HTC ,Samsung,LG,Sony Eriksson have released android phones which are gradually taking over the Iphone dominated market(take that Steve Jobs),while Nokia is suffering huge losses due to their refusal to adopt Android OS.The main features which make them attractive are the Android market,a place where you can download any app you need by paying is necessary ,though thousands of free ones are readily available(Youtube downloaders,navigation software’s,document reader’s etc being some of them).It’s just like a computer in that regard,something doesn’t work,download a software to make it work. The second thing that makes it more attractive is its low prices compared to the astronomical ones of the Iphone (1/3 rd in some cases).Let’s look at its WIKI page

Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications.Google Inc. purchased the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., in 2005.Android’s mobile operating system is based on the Linux kernel. Google and other members of the Open Handset Alliance collaborated on Android’s development and release. The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android.Android was listed as the best-selling smartphone platform world-wide in Q4 2010 by Canalys.

Android has a large community of developers writing applications (“apps”) that extend the functionality of the devices. There are currently more than 250,000 apps available for Android. Android Market is the online app store run by Google, though apps can also be downloaded from third-party sites. Developers write primarily in the Java programming language, controlling the device via Google-developed Java libraries.

The unveiling of the Android distribution on 5 November 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 80 hardware, software, and telecom companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Google released most of the Android code under the Apache License, a free software and open source license.

The Android open-source software stack consists of Java applications running on a Java-based, object-oriented application framework on top of Java core libraries running on a Dalvik virtual machine featuring JIT compilation. Libraries written in C include the surface manager, OpenCore media framework, SQLite relational database management system, OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics API, WebKit layout engine, SGL graphics engine, SSL, and Bionic libc.

Version history

Android has seen a number of updates since its original release. These updates to the base operating system typically fix bugs and add new features. Generally, each new version of the Android operating system is developed under a code name based on a dessert item. Past updates included Cupcake and Donut. The code names are in alphabetical order (Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, and the upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich). Below is a list of the most recent versions, and what they include:
  • 2.0 (Eclair) included a new web browser, with a new user interface and support for HTML5 and the W3C Geolocation API. It also included an enhanced camera app with features like digital zoom, flash, color effects, and more.
  • 2.1 (Eclair) included support for voice controls throughout the entire OS. It also included a new launcher, with 5 homescreens instead of 3, animated backgrounds, and a button to open the menu (instead of a slider). It also included a new weather app, and improved functionality in the Email and Phonebook apps.
  • 2.3 (Gingerbread) refined the user interface, improved the soft keyboard and copy/paste features, and added support for Near Field Communication
  • 3.0 (Honeycomb) was a tablet-orientedrelease which supports larger screen devices and introduces many new user interface features, and supports multicore processors and hardware acceleration for graphics.The Honeycomb SDK has been released and the first device featuring this version, the Motorola Xoom tablet, went on sale in February 2011.
  • 3.1 (Honeycomb) was announced at the 2011 Google I/O on 10 May 2011.
  • 3.2 (Honeycomb) is “an incremental release that adds several new capabilities for users and developers.” Highlights include optimization for a broader range of screen sizes; new “zoom-to-fill” screen compatibility mode; capability to load media files directly from the SD card; and an extended screen support API, providing developers with more precise control over the UI.

Below is a list of future releases that have been announced:

  • 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is said to be a combination of Gingerbread and Honeycomb into a “cohesive whole.”It will be released in Q4 2011.

 

This is not to say Android’s don’t have any con’s,far from it they have more of it compared to the Iphone,some of them are

*Some models have limited processing speeds, which can make for delays in typing or using applications.

*There are 1/10th as many available applications in the Android Market as there are in competitor markets, such as the Apple Store Online.

*Not all models have physical keyboards, which can render typing difficult.

*They are notorious for low battery life.
Even with these con’s ,Android phones still remain the best buy for the average user.

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