Operating system android. Android versions


Hello friends, I’m starting to develop a section related to smartphones, now it’s fully operational. Now on the site you will find a bunch of interesting articles about Android smartphones. I will try to convey to users in as much detail as possible about new smartphones, that is, there will be a lot of news. Of course, I will focus on creating materials on working with the OS. So to speak, instructions from A to Z. For now, I’ll start with the simplest thing and write an article about what it is and what its advantages and disadvantages are. Now let's get to the point.

What is Android OS

Android is an operating system based on the Linux kernel, which was purchased by Google in 2005. In 2008, the first version of the operating system was released. This OS is designed for smartphones, tablets and many other devices. At the moment, it is built into watches, various navigators, set-top boxes and players.

Now a huge number of smartphones and other devices with this system are being created. It has gained tremendous popularity, so it has almost no competitors, except perhaps iOS.

I think it’s not worth listing the well-known brands of today’s phones, which are growing by leaps and bounds. So, they all use Android. If we talk about a pure system, we can say that it is very fast and productive. Many manufacturers, using this OS as a basis, create their own shell with additional functions, capabilities and design. Some people do this better, and the system flies, but in some devices it’s not so good. Using the operating system, you have the opportunity to control functions such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, create Wi-Fi access points, that is, turn your phone into a modem and much more. Modern smartphones are equipped with fingerprint and iris scanning sensors, which can greatly improve protection - all of this can be controlled using Android. Naturally, Apple with its iOS is trying to keep up.

Advantages and disadvantages

Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages:

  • Since it is developed on the open source Linux kernel, the mobile system is also open source, which allows you to create whatever your heart desires for this system.
  • The clean OS is highly optimized and is not demanding on devices. It can work on the weakest phone that is currently available, although this is already rare.
  • The ability to customize the system for yourself.
  • A huge number of add-ons and applications that greatly expand the capabilities of the OS.
  • Speed ​​of operation (not in all cases).
  • The system is available for the following hardware platforms: ARM, x86, MIPS.

These are the main positive characteristics that I noted for myself. Maybe there is something else. In addition to the advantages, there is also minuses:

  • An open-source operating system gives manufacturers of smartphones and tablets an advantage to create shells that are not always as optimized and efficient as possible. In addition, the shell update may come much later than the latest version of the official system is released.
  • If the system is poorly optimized, then there is a possibility of high energy consumption. And atomicity is now highly valued. But it depends rather on the device manufacturers.
  • Because of its popularity, hackers and other bad people write viruses for the OS and look for vulnerabilities. Of course, this OS has certain protection, not like Windows. Therefore, the disadvantage is insignificant.
  • There have been cases where several million dollars in total have been stolen from users around the world. This was done by sending SMS without the user’s knowledge.


In addition to the pure system from Google, there are a number of enthusiasts developing their own firmware, which have their own functionality and capabilities. You will see a completely different design; it happens that the firmware of another manufacturer will work better than pure Android.

At the moment, there are companies that create firmware for smartphones and other devices: CyanogenMod, which is now LineageOS, AOKP, MIUI, Paranoid Android, AOSP, Replicant and others.

Enthusiastic developers try to release firmware versions on time, together with the release of a clean OS. But sometimes there is no need to flash the phone, since the manufacturers could take care of it.

Applications and Play Market

Everyone knows that every day in the Google app store - Play Market Hundreds of programs and games are posted. You can find whatever your heart desires, these are various audio and video players, desktop wallpapers, file managers, of which there are probably thousands, a lot of software for communicating with people - social networks, instant messengers and others. You can also download movies, books and music from there. Of course, there is content there, both paid and free.

A little theory. The Android application code is written for the so-called Dalvic virtual machine. Applications have the format .apk, this is the only format. Until recently, applications themselves could be written in Java, but since 2009 Google added a special package of capabilities that allows you to create software in C and C++. Also, there are many development environments, such as Embarcadero RAD Studio.


As for the application store itself, it was opened in 2008. The agreement was that the software developers would give 30% of the profits to Google. By the standards of 2017, there are about more than 2.8 million applications in the Play Market database.

Of course, unscrupulous users sometimes posted applications with malicious code, which caused a scandal around 2011, but the problems were quickly hushed up and the vulnerabilities were closed.

No matter what anyone says, the direct specific Play Market is the App Store - an application store for iPhone, iPad, iPod and other devices. They have less software than the Play Market. Developers' income is the same as Google's. You create a paid application for which you will give 30% of the profits.

What's inside Android

And now, almost the penultimate point, in which I want to talk about the internal components of the system. Those who use this system should understand it at least a little. And compare it with Windows.

So, Linux differs from Windows in that the latter has information divided into disks and folders, of course, in Linux as well, but it is all displayed differently. Linux systems have a tree structure.

There are also differences in registers. If you create several folders with the same names, then on Windows there will be no difference, but on Linux these will be completely different folders. This also applies to files. These names will be different in Linux - Papka, papka, PAPKA.

The cache for the system and some application will always be saved in a special section - cache.

Surely everyone has seen the folder in the file manager data. This directory has other folders related to installation files and application directories.

Configuration files and software libraries can be found in the folder app-lib.

For applications to work, they are written in Java for a special Dalvik virtual machine. So you may come across a catalog dalvic-cache. Sometimes it needs to be cleaned, for example, before flashing the phone. This is done using root rights or from, but I will definitely talk about all this in future articles.

You will definitely see the directory in the file manager system. From the name it is clear that system settings are stored there, changing which can ruin your system.

In the catalog etc you will find files that allow the system to start normally.

These are not all the folders that are in the Android system. It will take several additional articles to sort it all out.

Additional features

Many people know that each modification of the system has a key name, usually some kind of dessert. For example, Cupcake, which means cupcake. One of the popular versions 4.1-4.3 is called Jelly Bean(Jelly beans). But version 4.4 is named after the famous chocolate bar KitKat. The next modification 5.0 and 5.1 is called Lollipop- lollipop. Sixth option - Marshmallow and finally, the latest version 7.0-7.1.2 received the code Nougat.

There is just a little time left before the release of version 8, or as it is called Android O. The beta version of the operating system is already installed on some flagships and works stably. The entire OS will be released at the end of 2017. And yes, the keyword will most likely be - Oreo. Below you will see a video of the presentation of the eighth version.

Well guys, I finished the article, now you know what Android is, where it is used, its features. In future articles I will tell you almost everything related to this operating system. Well, I wish you good luck!

As of today, the latest version of Android has the serial number 5 and the code name Lollipop. The system has received significant updates in design, functionality, in general, it is practically a newly created product. Google Nexus 5 smartphones have now begun to be updated to this version of the OS, and soon all modern smartphones will receive the latest update. However, we will tell you about the new 5.0 separately, but I still want to start from those times when the Android project did not even belong to Google...

Android: Beginning

Many people believe that the history of Android began in 2008 when the first version of Android 1.0 was released. But in fact, everything started 5 years earlier, in 2003, when Andy Rubin and his friends (Nick Sears, Chris White and Rich Miner) decided to create a mobile operating system and registered the company Android Inc. The developers first focused on devices that could be constantly with users, determine location using GPS and automatically adapt to a person’s needs.

Andy Rubin, creator of Android Source: technobuffalo.com

For investors of that time, it was unlikely that anything was clear at all. Well, who wants to invest money in an incomprehensible startup that doesn’t bring in any money yet... And so it happened that by 2005 Andy and friends spent all their funds, but by a lucky coincidence Google took a closer look at them and on August 17, 2005 the corporation became a full-fledged corporation owner of small Android Inc. It is worth noting that Google at that time did not have any special plans for gadgets, but was more focused on improving its own software and search algorithms. It’s scary to say, but at that time Google did not have any Adsense or even YouTube (it was acquired only in 2007).

Google logo in 2005

In the same year, against the backdrop of legal proceedings between Oracle and Google, it was decided that Android would be a free operating system and, of course, primarily focus on the implementation of Google services. Since Andy Rubin was initially involved in a project related to GPS, and the corporation already had Maps, it was planned to introduce maps into phones. Moreover, there were no smartphones at that time, so the cards could appear on a regular folding phone with buttons. The first images also indicate that Google was looking to RIM's experience with their Blackberry, so if not for a coincidence, touch phones might not have appeared. But, unfortunately or fortunately, the iPhone came out in 2007 and Google sharply revised its strategy. However, the first build of Android 1.0 is being prepared for release in 2008. However, at the beginning of 2007, Google does not have a partner that would release a phone on the new OS. Nokia is too large a company with which there will be a conflict of interest; Motorola has not yet recovered from the rise in sales of Razr models. Google is choosing between LG and HTC. Korean LG is interested in the US market, but it is afraid of cooperation with an unknown partner and uses agreements with Google only to conclude contracts with Microsoft to create smartphones with Windows Mobile. But HTC was ready to work together, and besides, the Taiwanese company could quickly create working samples. The first known prototype was Google Sooner. Here, however, we had to abandon the touch screen; this model was created according to the original specifications, when Google relied on the experience of Blackberry.

Possibly the first Android phone prototype - Google Sooner

Sources report that the first working version dates back to May 15, 2007 and was then called M3. The operating system is very reminiscent of the Blackberry interface, with the Google search bar occupying the main position. In general, if it weren’t for the advent of the iPhone and the trend towards touch screens, perhaps we would now see Android like this.

Screenshot of Android M3, possibly the first working version of the OS Source: 9to5google.com

Android: official start

Google clearly understood that with the release of the Apple iPhone, a touch screen was simply a necessity, and therefore early development had to be postponed. This was facilitated by communication with operators; in the summer of 2007, their opinion about the future of Android was pessimistic. In August 2007, an article appears in the WSJ talking about Google's efforts with its phone and platform. This material mentions that the company has two prototypes - one is similar to the Palm Treo with a QWERTY keyboard under the screen, and the second is somewhat reminiscent of the Nokia version. Within the Android team there is a race against time, since all previous plans are no good and they decided to abandon them. The team changes the timing, and the M3 is released in the second half of 2007. In version M5, it appears at the beginning of 2008, a status bar appears in it, although experiments with the UI are noticeable to the naked eye. Watch the video to understand the differences between these versions.

It wasn't until August 2008 that Google developed version 0.9 to introduce OS version 1.0 in September 2008. On October 22, 2008, the US operator T-Mobile begins selling the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1), the first Android smartphone to feature a touch screen and an OS fully integrated for its use. But Google was able to rework the OS only to version 1.6, getting rid of the old ideas that were originally laid down when it was created. Perhaps it is from this moment that the rise of Android begins. Interest in the HTC Dream in the United States was enormous; the operator had sold 1 million devices by April 23, 2009. Such a demand for such an ordinary and simple device once again proved that ideas win, in this aspect it was the idea of ​​​​touch phones that captured the minds of consumers.

Naturally, the very first tests on real users revealed many flaws in the platform, and already in the first year of Android’s existence, Google released the following updates: 1.1. Banana Bread, 1.5 Cupcake (video and photo uploading to YouTube and Picasa, automatic display orientation, predictive input, etc.), and 1.6 Donut (speech-to-text conversion with multilingual pronunciation, WVGA support, optimized work with gestures, etc.) .d.)

Android: second try

Android 2.0

After improving the 1st version, Android received expanded functionality and a good appearance in version 2.0, and then in 2.1 with the same code name Eclair. It became possible to use multiple Google accounts, and the standard web browser received HTML5 support. At the same time, new models of Android smartphones went on sale: NTS Magic and Hero, Motorola Droid and Samsung Galaxy.

At the same time, in 2010, the production of mobile processors with a clock frequency of 1 GHz began. And the first branded smartphone Google Nexus One with a 1 GHz processor appears. Of course, HTC becomes Google's partner. And HTC Desire, Motorola Droid 2 and Samsung Galaxy S received processors with a similar frequency. By the way, HTC will no longer make Google devices until 2014, when the Nexus 9 comes out. In the same 2010, Google released another version of Android, the new 2.2 Froyo , in which the performance of applications using JIT compilation has increased, and support for Adobe Flash has appeared. Well, all the above-mentioned smartphones with a 1 GHz processor received an update to Froyo. In addition, the assembly received updates such as the Chrome V8 JS engine for the web browser, contact transfer and support for BlueTooth docking stations, cloud synchronization, etc.

Google Nexus One and Android 2.2 Froyo

By the way, in Russia many saw Android for the first time in this edition, since this year in our country the demand for touchscreen smartphones begins, Android is gradually becoming fashionable. Until 2010, the “green robot” was seen only by geeks, and even then, more likely on the Internet or magazines than in their own hands.

Android Gingerbread and Honeycomb

It was the third year of Android's existence on the market. It was already a popular OS, but there were still many problems. And now, update 2.3 Gingerbread appears, which until 2013 was installed on a huge number of devices. Indeed, this version of the OS implemented many functions that outlined the prospects for the development of the platform as such - support for SIP telephony, Near Field Communication and Google Talk, work with higher resolution screens, a new download manager and much more.

Together with Gingerbread, Google releases its second branded smartphone - Nexus S. This time the manufacturer is Samsung, and Nexus S was, in fact, a slightly modified Galaxy S. However, Google Nexus S was released clearly too late: on the day its sales began, the company LG announced the first dual-core smartphone Optimus 2X. Now manufacturers are measured not by gigahertz, but by multi-core. As a result, not only LG Optimus 2X, but also Samsung Galaxy S II, HTC Sensation and Motorola Droid X2 received dual-core chips.

Meanwhile, Samsung is releasing another device after the Galaxy S smartphone - the Galaxy Tab tablet. The compact and lightweight seven-inch “tablet” became a good alternative for those who did not like the bulky Apple iPad. But the problem is that Android currently only exists for smartphones. Not a problem, Google thought, and at the beginning of 2011, the first version of Android designed specifically for tablet PCs appeared - 3.0 Honeycomb. It really looked better on Honeycomb tablets than the stretched out Gingerbread smartphone interface. Thus, both smartphones and tablets are already operational based on the Android OS. The business began to expand, and rapidly. Almost all Android tablets are becoming Honeycomb carriers - Motorola Xoom, Acer Iconia Tab, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, etc.

In the same 2011, at the IFA 2011 technology exhibition in Berlin, Samsung presented its first 5-inch Glaxy Note phablet, which became a very popular device, despite the opinions of skeptics. Then it was, in fact, the first device of this class, and even on Android. It took Apple another 3 years before this; in 2014, the company released the iPhone 6 Plus phablet.

Android 4: from Ice Cream Sandwich to KitKat

Google understands that having two separate systems for smartphones and tablets is not very profitable. More time is spent on development and support. And in the fall of 2011, Google releases Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which becomes the first cross-platform version for smartphones and tablets. The build also includes access to applications directly from the lockscreen, and AndroidMarket is renamed Google Play. According to many experts, it was with version 4.0 that Android began to acquire its usual shape and normal functionality. Now the devices on the “green robot” could also be simply used; they ceased to be gadgets for geeks.

Following the new operating system, Google presented a new smartphone - the Galaxy Nexus, which, apparently, was also developed in collaboration with Samsung. And again, after the release of a smartphone, component manufacturers begin to fight for hardware. Qualcomm introduces powerful Krait processors, and Nvidia announces 4-core Tegra 3 chips. Well, the undisputed leader of Android smartphones in 2012 is the Samsung Galaxy S III, which joins the budget bestseller ASUS Nexus 7 based on the new Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS.

In 2012-2013, nothing special happened with Android after global changes with the unification of the tablet and smartphone versions. However, in 2012, Google makes 2 more branded devices - the LG Nexus 4 smartphone and the Samsung Nexus 10 tablet. In parallel with the new products, an updated build of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean was presented, which complemented the previous version. Now users can fully experience the benefits of using GoogleNow, Cloud Messaging, Android Beam, triple buffering, multi-channel USB audio, etc. Then the Google Moto X smartphone and the 2nd generation Google Nexus 7 tablet are presented, which were not particularly popular in our country due to the fact that Motorola left the Russian market back in 2010.

In 2013, Nexus 5 appeared on the market, again as a result of cooperation with LG. And a new version of Android 4.4 KitKat is coming out for it and other devices. Yes, this is the first time that the version indicator is the name of a commercial product, but let’s not talk about that. The changes affected not only the interface of individual system applications and elements. The promised transparency of the top notification bar has appeared in KitKat, along with a new sophisticated font and support for a full-screen interface from individual applications. With the release of KitKat, access to the Google Now service has become easier. Now its call is unified - you just need to swipe your finger across the screen from left to right. Previously, methods to access Google Now varied depending on the smartphone model (pressing the Home button, shaking, etc.). Additionally, the service is activated by the phrase “OK Google” when the start screen is open. The developers also paid attention to the Hangouts program. Now it allows you to send not only chat messages, but also SMS/MMS. Finally, we note the built-in pedometer in KitKat, which works even in the background, as well as expanded compatibility with printers through Google Print cloud technology. The latter allows you to send documents for printing without any wires, first changing the paper size and specifying the required number of pages.

First, let’s clarify for those who do not have information what it is Android.
Android is an operating system for ; mobile phones such as smartphones; game consoles; laptops, which is developed by the Open Handset Alliance and belongs to Google. The first version of this system was released in 2008 and after that there have already been 40 system updates. Naturally, all updates were made in order to eliminate or correct certain system errors, as well as to add new functions to the Android system.

Application of the Android operating system

At the moment, based on verified sources, those phones that were purchased in 2014, 85% of them had the Android system. Looking back at Android history, Google originally intended to name versions of the system after famous robots, but ran into copyright issues. But soon each version received its own name, which was given after the name of the desserts. The above names were given in Latin in alphabetical order. At the time of 2014, 12 versions of the operating system had already been released.

Even if you have a simple phone, then with the operating system the same device turns into a full-fledged “smart” phone. Android OS will help you use the Internet without difficulty, for example, watch online movies, videos, read e-books, communicate on social networks, and the like. This system is very easy to use. First of all, you need to connect your phone to the wireless Internet and create a new Google account. If you already have such an account, you can use the old one. After you complete these procedures, all Internet services will become available to you. Next, you will have the opportunity to download programs and other applications.

For example, you can install websites on your phone using the . With this application you can secure your phone by downloading from. Moreover, all programs for downloading are free (but there are also paid ones), unlike other operating systems. If you want to customize the desktop on your device to your liking, then the Android OS will help you change the virtual keyboard, change the interface, screen widgets and shortcuts. Here is an example of a phone with the Android operating system.

Articles and Lifehacks

Today it’s hard to find a person who doesn’t like to surround himself with “smart” technology. The phrase “without a phone is like without hands” is heard more and more often, and it is generally impossible to imagine life without a player, laptop or other popular gadget.

Therefore, everyone should know about the new products appearing on the modern electronics market. For example, not everyone knows what the Android platform is, but we will try to figure it out.

What is Android

  • Android is an operating system that can control a mobile device (phone, tablet computer, smartphone). The Android platform was developed based on the Linux kernel.
  • It appeared due to the fact that in 2005 Google bought Android Inc, making it its subsidiary, and began producing platforms of the same name for mobile devices. Since then, the platform has only been developing.
  • Android very often releases new versions of its program. Notable is the fact that the first letters of the name of each new version correspond to the letters of the Latin alphabet.
  • Today, the Android platform ranks second in popularity in the world, second only to the iOS operating system, which was developed for the iPhone.

What is Android for?

  • As you know, the operating system is the “brain” of any electronic device, which is needed for it to carry out all human commands.
  • Accordingly, an android is a virtual robot sitting inside a mobile device, which is responsible for executing all processes occurring inside this device.
  • The advantage of this platform is that Android has a convenient and very intuitive interface, as well as a flexible and multitasking system that allows you to run several applications at once and experiment with settings.
  • Among other things, numerous applications created specifically for the Android platform provide the happy users of this system with truly limitless possibilities.
  • After all, with the help of these applications you can pay for purchases, take photos, watch movies or read books.
  • Having understood what Android is, we can conclude that this platform is created for creative people, because two identical mobile devices can look completely different.
  • Android allows you to always have everything with you - a personal fitness trainer, a doctor, a toy or a TV, making human life as comfortable as possible.

When people hear this word, they have many questions: “Why a green robot?”, “How difficult is it to handle?”, “How to install programs or make a backup copy?”, “Should I give it preference when choosing new mobile phone? and others.

But what is Android anyway? Let's try to figure this out.

Description

Android (eng. "Android") is the name of a software platform for devices (mostly mobile devices) based on the Linux kernel. It was originally created by Android Inc., which was acquired by Google. Android provides the opportunity to develop Java applications that control the device using libraries developed by Google. Distributed under the Apache 2.0 license.

Used in a wide range of devices:

  • Smartphones
  • TVs
  • Google glasses
  • Media players
  • E-books
  • Photo frames
  • Laptops/netbooks/smartbooks
  • And so on

It is planned to install the Android system on automotive computerized parts and robotic vehicles (military and household). Now it is the most common operating system for mobile devices (for example, in 2014, more than 80% of smartphones sold had the Android operating system).

In the fall of 2012, L. Page (Executive Director of Google) published statistics on the activation of over 500 million Android-based mobile devices. To compare the speed of spread of this OS, in the fall of 2013 it became known that > ​​1 billion devices running Android were activated on our planet.

The main competitor in the mobile segment at the moment is Apple with an expensive proprietary operating system called iOS. Like Apple, Google has its own online market, but it has not only paid, but also many free products, unlike its competitor, who sells its full-fledged programs most often for more than $0.

Software (application) store "Google Play"

In the fall of 2008, Google presented an online store of programs (applications) for its OS - Android Market. As for payment, developers receive about 70% of the profit, and the remaining 30% goes to operators providing access to the cellular network. As of January 2012, >10 billion applications have been downloaded since the launch of Android Market.

In the spring of 2012, the company combined its multimedia services, such as “Books”, “Android Market”, “Music”, etc. Google Play appeared. The Google Play online store is used in more than 180 countries and has over half a million applications downloaded more than 25 billion times.

Advantages of Android

Unlike iOS, Android is a free platform, which gives it the opportunity to implement more different functions and make itself more versatile with the help of firmware and patches from third-party programmers.

  • by default, it has a restriction on installing programs from “unverified sources”, but this prohibition is easily deactivated in the device settings, which allows installation without an Internet connection, and also provides the opportunity to test applications written personally;
  • available for MIPS, ARM, x86;
  • multi-user mode starting from Android 4.3

Criticism from outside

  • Some devices have Google services that allow you to transfer confidential information to the company;
  • the platform has excessive fragmentation, preventing programmers from creating applications without any problems;
  • Due to the use of Java code, there is often a decrease in overall performance and increased power consumption of Android devices
  • According to Lookout Security Mobile, over 1 million US dollars were stolen from Android smartphone owners in 2011 (frequent methods: sending instant messages without the participation of the phone owner or calling a paid number).

This is interesting

  • The name of each version of Android 1.5+ is a dessert, or rather its name. In this case, the first letters of the names are correlative to the letters of the Latin alphabet, following in order:
  • Individual font sets were created for Android Droid and Robot;
  • In Android versions 4.2+ initially Developer tools are disabled, to activate you need to click on the release number seven times.
  • on official websites from the moment of their launch until the present moment Minimum specifications not specified required to run the OS;
  • in versions 2.3+ there is easter egg To launch it, you should go to “Settings - About device - Android version” and quickly click on this function 4 times, after which the animation will be displayed, and then the “Flappy Bird” mini-game will open.


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