Android

Introduction to Android

    What is Android?

   Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet computers,     developed by Google.

    

    Or

   Android is a stack-based OS which is include Kernel, middle ware, and basic applications,Competes with    Windows Mobile, Symbian etc.

    History of Android:
  §  Android is an open-sourced stack for mobile devices that includes the operating system, key applications          and middleware. Android was started by Google in 2005 when they purchased the initial developer of the          software, Android Inc.

 §  The version history of the Android operating system began with the release of the Android beta in                  November 2007.   

Version	Release Date	Features
1.0	September 23, 2008	ü  Android Market application  download   and updates through the Market app . ü  Web browser to show, zoom and pan full HTML and XHTML web pages – multiple pages show as windows ("cards"). ü  Camera support – however this version lacked the option to change the camera's resolution, white balance, quality, etc.
1.1	February 9, 2009	ü  Details and reviews available when a user searches for businesses on Maps. ü  Longer in-call screen timeout default when using the speakerphone, plus ability to show/hide dialpad.
1.5	April 30, 2009	ü  Support for soft (on‐screen) keyboards. ü  Video recording. ü  Application widgets. ü   More than 1,000 changes to API.
1.6	September 15, 2009	ü  High‐ and low‐density displays.
2.0.x	October 26, 2009	ü  Multi‐touch, virtual keys. ü  Centralized account mgmt. ü  Synchronization APIs, Docking, HTML5.
2.1	January 12, 2010	ü  Live wallpapers. ü  Home screen enhancements. ü  more HTML5 support.etc
2.2	May 20, 2010	ü  Speed,memory,and performance optimizations. ü  Additional application speed improvements, implemented through JIT compilation.etc
2.2.x	January 18, 2011	ü  Bug fixes, security updates and performance improvements. ü  Two security patches.
2.3	December 6, 2010	ü  Updated user interface design with increased simplicity and speed . ü  Support for extra-large screen sizes and resolutions (WXGA and higher). ü  Native support for SIP VoIP internet telephony.
2.3.x	February 9, 2011	ü  Several improvements and API fixes. ü  Support for voice or video chat using Google Talk. ü  Open Accessory Library support. Open Accessory was introduced in3.1 (Honeycomb) but the Open Accessory Library grants 2.3.4 added support when connecting to a USB peripheral with compatible software and a compatible application on the device.etc
3.0.x	February 22, 2011	ü  Hardware acceleration . ü  Support for multi-core processors. ü  Ability to encrypt all user data.etc
4.0.1	October 19, 2011	ü  Soft buttons from Android 3.x are now available for use on phones. ü  Separation of widgets in a new tab, listed in a similar manner to apps. ü  Ability to access apps directly from lock screen. ü  Hardware acceleration of the UI. ü  Wi-Fi Direct.
4.1.1	July 9, 2012	ü  Smoother user interface. ü  Bluetooth data transfer for Android Beam. ü  Offline voice dictation. Enhanced accessibility. ü  Bi-directional text and other language support. ü  Multichannel audio. ü  USB audio (for external sound DACs). ü  Audio chaining.