What is Android and its functions. What is android? Main advantages

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What is Android, and why is it needed? Many beginners, when buying a modern gadget, be it a tablet or a smartphone, ask a similar question. It is worth clarifying the situation and highlighting some of the advantages of this platform.

History of appearance

Today there are many devices that run on the Android platform. This operating system is designed for smartphones and tablets, watches and e-books, game consoles and even Google glasses. Perhaps TVs and cars with Android support will appear soon.

The history of the creation of the OS began back in 2003. At that time, a small organization called Android inc was founded. Its founders were Rich Miner, Chris White, Andy Rubin and Nick Sears. Even then, some developments were underway that were planned to be implemented in the new operating system. The company carried out its activities in the strictest secrecy.

Soon the organization ran out of money, and there were no significant achievements in OS development. Due to the lack of results, investors could not be attracted. After a while, Google became interested in the development. In 2005, the company became the property of the search giant.

After this, the Open Handset Alliance Corporation was founded. It includes leading manufacturers of mobile devices. The Android platform was first introduced in 2007. As is known, it is based on Linux kernel. First version of this operating system came out in 2008.

What it is

Android is the operating system that powers smartphones, tablets, and many other devices. Thanks to this OS, even the most inexpensive phone will be able to acquire new opportunities. The system will allow you to install various useful programs, which will help you make full use of all the functions of the device.

All you need software can be downloaded from Play Market. This site contains more than 700 thousand programs. A wide range will allow you to find any the right application. Using the operating system, you can easily access the Internet, watch video files, communicate via in social networks, listen to music, take photos and immediately post them to your account, or read e-books.

It is worth noting that the OS is completely free. Moreover, it is very easy to use. It won't take much time to understand the interface. Thanks to all its advantages, it has become the most widespread in the world. In 2014, more than 86% of devices operating on this platform were sold.

Video: Android phone

OS application

Since the advent of the Android operating system to the present day, developers have not been sitting idly by. The platform is constantly being improved. At the same time, its functionality is expanded by introducing new features.

Photo: Android 4.0 is the latest mobile version

The platform has become so popular and comfortable to use that many companies that develop modern gadgets, decided to release their devices based on this OS.

Using Android is not as difficult as it seems. With its help, you can perform almost the same actions on your device as on your computer.

The system provides several standard applications. Among them are:

browser;
Email;
calendar;
voice search;
social network;
navigator;
weather;
news.

All applications from Google.

Another nice plus is the ability to customize your desktop yourself. Can be added on device additional screen, where you can place shortcuts or widgets. You can also install any theme or wallpaper you like, thereby modifying the interface.

Why is it good

This OS has a number of advantages. The main ones are:

Stages of Android development

After the presentation of the first version of the platform, it was refined over the next year, as a result of which some system errors were corrected.

Five updated versions were introduced in 2009:

2010 was marked by the release of two more versions. They became:

The next development by the manufacturers was platform 3.0, which was presented in 2011. The new OS was specifically designed for tablets.

This system differs from the previous ones:

improved interface;
the ability to synchronize links with Google Chrome;
external keyboard support;
it is now possible to change the size of widgets on the screen;
work on a multi-core processor.

The developers did not stop there and created Android 4.0, which was called “Ice Cream Sandwich”. This platform has become more universal. It can be used on both a phone and a tablet.

Photo: Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich”

The OS has a lot of new features and improvements:

The notification panel has been changed;
a way to control Internet traffic has been added;
a voice dictation function has appeared;
spell checking system;
The camera application has been improved - a panoramic shooting mode has appeared, various effects and image stabilizer;
the browser has been updated;
support for screenshots;
updated security and gadget protection system.

Throughout 2012 and 2013, manufacturers worked on developing the Jelly Bean OS..

The next versions were 4.1, 4.2, 4.3. The new changes mainly affected the speed of the interface. Thanks to new developments, productivity has been increased. Now they work in parallel GPU and central.

IN updated version platforms appeared:

At the end of 2013, another version of Android 4.4 “Kitkat” was announced. New platform has been optimized to work on cheaper devices that have RAM 512 MB.

There are also some changes here:

Now in smartphones, contacts with whom the user communicates more often are located at the top of the list;
the voice assistant is always active;
automatic caller ID;
subtitles are now displayed in the video player;
the file downloader has an updated design;
support for pedometer applications;
Numerous errors and shortcomings have been corrected.

The company's latest development is version 5. The new OS is called "Lollipop". The main highlight was material design design, which is distinguished by its versatility.

Competitors

The main competitors with which the Android platform has to fight for the palm are:

Apple iPhoneOS;
Microsoft Windows Mobile;
RIM BlackBerry OS;
Maemo/MeeGo;
Samsung Bada OS;
Palm webOS;
Symbian OS.

Today Android has become the most common mobile platform in the world than iOS. However, a presentation of the new Ubuntu Phone OS is planned soon. Perhaps it will become another serious competitor to Android.

Android devices

In 2008, the first device was released that ran on Android. The device was developed by HTC. It was a smartphone called HTC Dream. After this, several more phone manufacturers expressed a desire to produce mobile devices that support this operating system.

Soon a tablet based on the Android platform was announced. In 2009, a photo frame running on this OS appeared on the market. In addition, after 2 years, the Blue Sky organization developed new wrist watch, which were called i’m Watch. They also support this system.

Camera manufacturers also decided to keep up and introduced the first camera in the world that runs on Android. The new product was released by Nikon. In addition, game consoles, e-books and media players operate on this platform. It is expected that some more devices will appear soon.

At this rate of development Android platform will become the absolute leader among other operating systems, leaving all competitors behind.

Thanks to a well-designed interface, convenient to use And reliable protection data, devices running this OS are certainly worthy of attention.

The first smartphones (communicators) appeared in the world more than 15 years ago. They made it possible to decide simple tasks related to opening and editing documents, were able to send faxes and email. However, the market was dominated by regular phones and small Palm handheld computers. At the end of the 2000s, devices running on Android began to appear on the market. What is Android, and what capabilities does this operating system provide to modern mobile devices?

Features of a simple phone

For a long time, mobile phones have been a means of voice calls and a tool for sending/receiving SMS. With the development of technology, phones with J2ME support began to appear on the market - this made it possible to expand functionality using additional applications. But they were very, very far from a full-fledged pocket computer.

Regular mobile phones (not smartphones) can make and receive calls, have functions for working with SMS and MMS, and can access the Internet and send email. To access the Internet here is simple browsers. All these features are built into the phone’s memory, so replacing an inconvenient dialer won’t work here.. Don't like the built-in audio player or don't have enough codecs to play video? You'll have to grind your teeth and endure.

Some part of the market is more smart devices smartphones/communicators have occupied the market for a long time Windows based Mobile and Symbian. There was already multitasking here, it was possible to find and install various programs. Users were happy with decent functionality, but it was all a little different - there was not the freedom of action that is provided to modern users of Android smartphones.

What is Android

The massive distribution of Android devices occurred at the end of the 2000s, when Windows Mobile (of all kinds of versions, often incompatible with each other) and Symbian dominated the market. In parallel with them, Apple products developed - its smartphones were an icon of functionality. The advent of Android was a real sensation. This operating system has taken over the market for smart devices, becoming the clear leader.

At the end of 2015, more than 80% of mobile devices were based on it - Apple with its iOS was left far behind. Android is a multitasking operating system for mobile devices, built on Linux based. Hence the high productivity and open source. The first version appeared at the end of 2008, followed by numerous updates. The latest version is Android 8.0 Oreo, which appeared in August 2017.

Each new development– new opportunities, increased efficiency and increased productivity. Android is an operating system that made it possible to create full-fledged pocket computers, which are all modern smartphones and tablets. Android OS devices can:

Make and receive calls;
Work with email;
Work with any wireless modules(3G, 4G, GPS/GLONASS, Wi-Fi, NFC, etc.);
Interact with users via touch screens, keyboards, mice, touchpads and gamepads;
Access the Internet via wireless networks;
Make video calls;
Take high-quality photographs and videos;
Verify users using numerous security measures, including using a fingerprint scanner;
Work with printers, external cameras and other devices.

But the most important advantage, limitlessly expanding Android capabilities, is the ability to install various applications. With their help, smartphones and tablets become faithful assistants to users. Applications allow you to receive information about discounts, make purchases in stores, listen to music, watch videos, read news, surf the Internet and solve business problems. Users can also choose from service applications, sports apps, online magazines and much more.

Android features

Android is an extremely user-friendly operating system. A few minutes are enough for initial acquaintance, and after a couple of days even the youngest beginners become quite experienced users. Most operations in Android are performed using simple gestures, and for installing applications in the system there is special store Playmarket– here all the software is structured and presented in the form of a convenient catalog.

Easy installation of applications from own store very convenient for novice users - no need to scour the Internet and look for software in search engines.

Android is a very flexible operating system. It is easily customizable to suit users' own needs, and the abundance of applications allows you to get additional functionality or replace some basic functions. Don't like the standard dialer? No problem - download another application, replace the shortcuts on your desktop and use the new application. Don't like the built-in player? Just download another one from the Playmarket. You can also download here:

Clients of popular social networks;
Messengers for instant messaging;
Bank clients;
Mail programs;
Wallets of electronic payment systems;
News applications;
Clients of online publications;
Offline and online games;
Cooking apps and more.

Android is very user-friendly, which means you can completely customize it for yourself.

You can get information without launching applications - for this, the system provides widgets that are located on the desktop and display useful information. These could be headings latest news, weather forecasts, exchange rates, last action people on social networks, etc.

Android is the operating system that runs the most different devices. These included smartphones, tablet PCs, some desktop PCs, smart TVs, game consoles, satellite and digital receivers, mini PC, multimedia players, e-books, smartbooks and even wristwatches. And every day the capabilities of the operating system and devices. Buy an Android smartphone or tablet and try out the system’s capabilities for yourself – you’ll definitely like them!

Ordinary users choose their phone based on what is on display in the store window. Often, studying a smartphone is limited to viewing the interface and music player- buyers do not have great knowledge about technical specifications purchased product. Let's improve our own literacy level and learn more about how Android differs from a smartphone and about the incorrectness of posing this question.

Great variety

A smartphone is something between mobile phone And personal computer. For each similar devices It could be:

Open webOS;
Windows Phone;
Android;
Apple IOS.

It is a determining factor when considering how Android differs from a smartphone. To understand how incorrectly the question is posed, consider the types of operating systems. They influence the functions that a smartphone can support.

Open webOS

This operating system is the very first one used on smartphones. Now it is becoming less and less common.

Windows Phone (WP)

This MOS was published in 2010 under the leadership of Microsoft. The system also works based on the multi-touch function. Its distinctive property is Hubs. These are sections that unite a common topic (games, contacts, Internet and others). Static icons look like “live” tiles. They reflect information about the state of each partition.

Apple iOS

This type of mobile OS can be installed exclusively on technical products Apple. The screen and interface of the devices operate based on the multi-touch function (simultaneous work with 1-3 points of contact). Applications can be installed on iOS in IPA format.

Android

Let's return to the question of how Android differs from a smartphone. Android and IOS systems are the most popular all over the world. The first version of this OS was launched in 2008. Subsequently, developers only improved Android products. Now this system stands on many products digital technology(game consoles, watches, tablets and smartphones). Android smartphones have the following advantages:

have open source software;
support multitasking and multi-user mode;
widely available and relatively cheap compared to Apple products;
surprise with its bright and user-friendly interface;
Support Wi-Fi, file transfer via Internet, USB, Bluetooth.

The main disadvantage of mobile devices running on Android OS is their wasteful battery.

Android or Open webOS

Having dealt with the question of how Android differs from a smartphone, we will find out which OS is better: Android or Open webOS? Of course, give preference to the first option, because Google Corporation occupies one of the first positions in the global market. Its products meet absolutely all modern requirements for mobile devices. The most on Android is Pixi 4007D. Its price is only 1990 rubles.

Instead of a conclusion

It is common to think that Apple products are of higher quality and more prestigious. However, in Lately There is a trend towards an increase in Android OS users.

Modern users of smartphones and tablets are unlikely to ask the question you see in the title of this topic, but let's not forget that in the world you can find great amount people who are basically unfamiliar with mobile technology. This means that they are not familiar with the definition of “android”. What is this?

In fact, the word "android" has several meanings:

Humanoid robot

Film of the same name

operating system

The last point is of greatest interest, so we’ll talk about it.

At the time of writing, Android is the most popular mobile operating system and it is unlikely that anything will change in the coming years, because, according to data from 2014, the Android OS was installed in as many as 86% of smartphones sold in the second quarter of the same year.

The Android logo is a green robot, here it is:

Initially, the operating system was developed by the company of the same name - Android Inc., which was bought by the Internet giant Google in 2004. However, the first version of the operating system was officially released much later, only in September 2008. Why is it remarkable? For the reason that the operating room iPhone system OS, which was later renamed iOS, appeared more than a year earlier, but this did not prevent Android from taking a leading position. There is an opinion that if iOS were used not only on Apple devices, but also on any others, most likely, it would now be the most popular mobile operating system in the world. However, history does not tolerate the subjunctive mood.

By the way, here is the first device on Android based- HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1):

As for the operating system, we recall that this is a set of interconnected programs or applications designed to manage device resources. You've probably heard about the operating room. Windows system and worked with her? Android is also an operating system designed primarily to work with touch screens. For this reason, a modern smartphone can easily replace home computer, which can be placed in your pocket. However, in reality this is compact computer. A device without an operating system turns, as it is fashionable to say now, into a brick - a non-working device.

Initially, Android OS was used only on smartphones, but today everything has changed significantly. So, you can find Android on tablets, e-readers, smart watch, smartbooks, game consoles, TVs, etc.

What does Android OS allow you to do?

If before we used phones to make calls and send SMS messages, then with the advent and development of Android-based smartphones, as mentioned above, we got a full-fledged compact computer. Or maybe even more: for example, some smartphones allow you to take photographs at an almost professional level.

As for the Android operating system, it allows you to use the Internet, play the most various games, watch videos, listen to audio recordings, chat in instant messengers, install and launch the most various applications, including even graphic editor, to Work with external devices etc. Of course, smartphones allow you to make calls, and many models support 2 SIM cards, and some support 3 or even more!

By the way, some users ask why it differs appearance Android operating system depending on the device? There are different so-called launchers (launchers) - these are GUI user. That is, the appearance of the desktop, icons, menus can be completely different on various devices, however, they all run on Android. This is also one of the features of this operating system. Look at the difference:

It should be noted that Google is constantly updating the Android OS. However, you should be aware that not all devices support the latest Android versions— for some updates you can’t wait at all! Why? Most likely, for the reason that the creator of the device does not see the point in this, moreover, it often “forces” the user to change the device to a newer one. By the way, to the “old” iPhone models can't be installed either latest versions firmware

Be that as it may, the Android operating system is one of the best in the world. Perhaps the best in the world, which can indirectly confirm its popularity.

Versatility of Android OS

Today about the new operating room Android system everyone knows. It is used in modern smartphones and tablet computers. Huge opportunities it opens up both for developers and for users, who can download ready-made programs that change the interface style, and download all kinds of useful applications. Users who are interested in the design of a computer roughly understand what Windows is, but in order to find out what Android is, it is necessary to get acquainted with the history of the creation and evolution of the system.

Android developers

The operating system was created by Google employees who set out to create a universal platform for a number of new gadgets: smartphones, tablet computers, e-readers, netbooks and even Google glasses. Thus, it can be argued that Android is an operating system Google system. Linux became the core for system development. Google did not immediately become the founders new system. They just bought Android company Inc, which has begun work in a promising direction. This move made it possible to attract leading minds to work on the project and invest quite large sums in it.

Google operating system features

Today, every schoolchild knows what Android is, because thousands of smartphones and tablets sold on the basis of this system work. low price. The announcement of the system took place in 2007, and the full version of the OS was released in 2008. This event turned the mobile world where they have been used so far small systems that do not allow achieving maximum performance. The whole world learned what Android was as soon as the first device based on it was released. Thanks to the developers, users were able to look at their smartphones from a different perspective. The devices have become an excellent platform for quality games. With the help of a smartphone it became possible creation Internet access points without unnecessary settings and complex algorithms. Each a new version The system made it possible to correct the inaccuracies made in the first one and improve the platform.

Benefits for developers and owners of devices running Android

Every modern developer knows what Android is, because it is for this platform that it is easiest to develop an application that will allow you to become famous. A huge number of games posted in the store Google Market, made by enthusiasts. If users show a certain interest in the application, its creator can set himself up for success; he will definitely be noticed and offered to sign a lucrative contract. For a regular user It is also important to know what Android is in order to understand the possibilities that the system provides and begin to use your gadgets to their full potential. Programs for the operating system can be downloaded through the market; a huge number of applications are distributed free of charge.

Download useful apps for pennies

Some games and programs that have earned high ratings from users can be downloaded by paying a symbolic price - a few dollars. Programs can also be downloaded from a regular website via a computer and loaded onto the device via a standard cable.