Android

Making Android a better OS

What is an Android?

Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as Smartphone's and tablet computers.

It is currently the most used OS in today's Smartphone's and Tablet’s.

It is an open source OS which is what makes it to fully harness it’s capability to its fullest.

It is owed by Google.

Android Architecture

Features Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components

Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices

Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine

Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)

SQLite for structured data storage

Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)

GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)

Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent)

Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)

Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE

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Android as Open Source

Android is a open development platform.

Android offers developers the ability to build extremely rich and innovative applications.

Developers are free to take advantage of the device hardware, access location information, run background services, set alarms, add notifications to the status bar, and much, much more.

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Android as Open Source

Developers have full access to the same framework APIs used by the core applications.

The application architecture is designed to simplify the reuse of components; any application can publish its capabilities and any other application may then make use of those capabilities (subject to security constraints enforced by the framework). This same mechanism allows components to be replaced by the user.

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Version History

2.3 Gingerbread refined the user interface, improved the soft keyboard and copy/paste features, better native code support (which improves gaming performance), added SIP support (VoIP calls), and added support for Near Field Communication.

3.0 Honeycomb was a tablet-oriented release which supports larger screen devices and introduces many new user interface features, support for multi-core processors, hardware acceleration for graphics and full system encryption.

3.1 Honeycomb, released in May 2011, added support for extra input devices, USB host mode for transferring information directly from cameras and other devices, and the Google Movies and Books apps.

3.2 Honeycomb, released in July 2011, added optimization for a broader range of screen sizes, new "zoom-to-fill" screen compatibility mode, loading media files directly from SD card, and an extended screen support API.

4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, announced on October 19, 2011, brought Honeycomb features to Smartphone's and added new features including facial recognition unlock, network data usage monitoring and control, unified social networking contacts, photography enhancements, offline email searching, app folders, and information sharing using NFC. Android 4.0.4 is the latest Android version that is available to phones.

Android has seen a number of updates since its original release, each fixing bugs and adding new features. Each version is named, in alphabetical order, after a dessert.

Android Competitor

Up to today there is only one company who has given an Android a tough competition and you might be aware of that.

And yes!! What you are thinking is right ? Apple iOS is the only OS which has given Android a tough Competition.

Android and iOS together compromise of 95% of the total OS currently used in Smartphone’s and Tablet’s.

Other OS ?

Other OS are also available in the market but they are not as famous and efficient as Android and iOS.

To name a few such as –

i. Symbian OS which is used in Nokia Smartphone’s .

ii. BlackBerry OS for BlackBerry Phones and Tablets.

iii. Windows OS which is also used in Nokia Smartphone’s as well as in some other phone’s too.

Common Misconceptions!!

Sometimes people do get confuse in term of comparing Android with Apple.

What they forget is that Android is just an OS which is used in various Smartphone’s and Tablet’s but an iPhone is a device (hardware)which has iOS as Operating System so comparing an iPhone with Android is baseless.

And so the power of Android OS depend on the configuration of the Smartphone’s and Tablet’s as well.

Few Snap Shots of Latest Android ice-cream Sandwich

Tablet

What exactly is a Tablet?

A tablet is a device which is in between the Smartphone and laptop.

Which mean it should be more powerful than a Smartphone and more portable then a Laptop.

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Tablet in today's world.

Now days tablet is more used then a laptop.

Due to its portability it is easy to carry a tablet then a laptop.

And due to emerging of more powerful and portable tablet , it has fill the space between laptop and Smartphone very efficiently.

Tablets Available

With the booming business in field of tablets there are variety of tablets available in market.

Ranging from iPad(Apple) to Playbook(Blackberry) to a large number of Android tablet available in the Market.

Google Play is an online software store developed by Google for Android devices. An application program ("app") called "Play Store" is preinstalled on most Android devices and allows users to browse and download apps published by third-party developers, hosted on Google Play. As of October 2011, there were more than 500,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from the Play Store as of December 2011 exceeded 10 billion. The operating system itself is installed on 130 million total devices.

Only devices that comply with Google's compatibility requirements are allowed to preinstall and access the Play Store .The app filters the list of available applications to those that are compatible with the user's device, and developers may restrict their applications to particular carriers or countries for business reasons.

Google has participated in the Play Store by offering many free applications themselves, including Google Voice, Google Goggles, Gesture Search, Google Translate, Google Shopper, Listen and My Tracks. In August 2010, Google launched "Voice Actions for Android", which allows users to search, write messages, and initiate calls by voice.

Android Vs. iOS

Features iOS Android

Developer Apple Google

Copy/Paste Yes Yes

Multitasking Yes Yes

Flash Support No Yes

HTML 5 Support Yes Yes

Unified Inbox Yes Yes

Exchange Support Yes Yes

Threaded Email Yes Yes

Visual Voicemail Yes Yes

Video Calling Yes Yes(Third party App)

Universal Search Yes Yes

Internet Tethering Yes Yes

Removable Storage Support No Yes

Facebook Integration No Yes(Third party App)

Twitter Integration No Yes(Third party App)

Folders Yes Yes

Apps Organization Customizable Customizable

App Store 500000+ 500000+

Microsoft Office Support Yes(Third party App) Yes(Third party App)

Widgets No Yes

Media Sync iTunes Mac & PC Direct Transfer +Third party App

Why Choose Android?

Android has more dependable features that iOS fails to bring to their consumers.

For one thing, Android is an open source platform.  Users are able to customize it according to their own convenience.(If you know Android Programming)

Android products are way cheaper than iOS.

There are many Android platform devices to choose from.

A large number of paid app in App Store (of apple iOS) are free for android(in Google Play).

Others Advantages

Android allows any app to run on their platform.  The iOS platform apps are only limited to those that are available in the App Store and nothing else.

You can make your own theme and install it in cell phone.  The iOS however, cannot give you this feature.  Themes an options that iOS has to offer are very limited.

Devices with the Android platform have more hardware choices.  You can configure hardware on Android and in the iOS, you cannot.

Conclusion