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Android Version History
The version history of the Android mobile operating system began with the public release of its first beta on November 5, 2007. The first commercial version, Android 1.0, was released on September 23, 2008. The operating system has been developed by Google on a yearly schedule since at least 2011. New major releases are announced at Google I/O in May along with beta testing with the stable version usually released to the public between August and October. The first commercially released devices to run the Android operating system were the HTC Dream (marketed as the T-Mobile G1), and the Samsung Galaxy (GT-i7500). Overview The development of Android started in 2003 by Android, Inc., which was purchased by Google in 2005. There were at least two internal releases of the software inside Google and the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) before the beta version was released. The beta was released on November 5, 2007, while the software development kit (SDK) was released on November 12 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android (operating System)
Android is an operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen-based mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computer, tablets. Android has historically been developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance, but its most widely used version is primarily developed by Google. First released in 2008, Android is the world's Usage share of operating systems, most widely used operating system; the latest version, released on June 10, 2025, is Android 16. At its core, the operating system is known as the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and is free and open-source software (FOSS) primarily licensed under the Apache License. However, most devices run the proprietary software, proprietary Android version developed by Google, which ships with additional proprietary closed-source software pre-installed, most notably Google Mobile Services (GMS), which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Google Play
Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store, Play Store, or sometimes the Android Store (and was formerly Android Market), is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android (operating system), Android operating system and List of Google products, its derivatives, as well as ChromeOS, allowing users to browse and download applications developed with the Android SDK, Android software development kit and published through Google. Google Play has also served as a digital media store, with it offering various media for purchase (as well as certain things available free) such as Book, books, Movie, movies, Single (music), musical singles, Television show, television programs, and Video game, video games. Content that has been purchased on Google TV (service), Google TV and Google Play Books can be accessed on a web browser (such as, for example, Google Chrome) and through certain A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android Marshmallow
Android Marshmallow ( codenamed Android M during development) is the sixth major version of the Android operating system developed by Google, being the successor to Android Lollipop. It was announced at Google I/O on May 28, 2015, and released the same day as a beta, before being officially released on September 29, 2015. It was succeeded by Android Nougat on August 22, 2016. Android Marshmallow primarily focuses on improving the overall user experience of its predecessor. It introduced a new opt-in permissions architecture, new APIs for contextual assistants (first used by a new feature " Now on Tap" to provide context-sensitive search results), a new power management system that reduces background activity when a device is not being physically handled, native support for fingerprint recognition and USB-C connectors, the ability to migrate data and applications to a microSD card, and other internal changes. Android Marshmallow was met by low adoption numbers, with 13.3% of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android Lollipop
Android Lollipop ( codenamed Android L during development) is the fifth major version of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google and the 12th version of Android, spanning versions between 5.0 and 5.1.1. Unveiled on June 25, 2014, at the Google I/O 2014 conference, it became available through official over-the-air (OTA) updates on November 12, 2014, for select devices that run distributions of Android serviced by Google (such as Nexus and Google Play edition devices). Its source code was made available on November 3, 2014. The first phone with Android Lollipop was the Nexus 6. One of the most prominent changes in the Lollipop release is a redesigned user interface built around a design language known as Material Design, which was made to retain a paper-like feel to the interface. Other changes include improvements to the notifications, which can be accessed from the lockscreen and displayed within applications as top-of-the-screen banners. Google also made in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android KitKat
Android KitKat is the codename for the eleventh Android mobile operating system, representing release version 4.4. Unveiled on September 3, 2013, KitKat focused primarily on optimizing the operating system for improved performance on entry-level devices with limited resources. On July 24, 2023, Google announced that Google Play Services would no longer support KitKat in August of that year. The first phone with Android KitKat was the Nexus 5. 0.12% of Android devices run KitKat. History Android 4.4 " KitKat" was officially announced on September 3, 2013. The release was internally codenamed " Key lime pie"; but John Lagerling, director of Android global partnerships, and his team, decided to drop the name, arguing that "very few people actually know the taste of a key lime pie". Aiming for a codename that was "fun and unexpected", his team pursued the possibility of naming the release "KitKat" instead. Lagerling phoned a representative of Nestlé, who owns the Kit Kat bran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android Jelly Bean
Android Jelly Bean (Android 4.1, 4.2, 4.3) is the codename given to the tenth version of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google, spanning three major point releases (versions 4.1 through 4.3.1). Among the devices that launched with Android 4.1 to 4.3 are the Nexus 7 (2012), Nexus 4, Nexus 10, Nexus 7 (2013), and Hyundai Play X. The first of these three releases, 4.1, was unveiled at Google's I/O developer conference in June 2012. It focused on performance improvements designed to give the operating system a smoother and more responsive feel, improvements to the notification system allowing for expandable notifications with action buttons, and other internal changes. Two more releases were made under the Jelly Bean name in October 2012 and July 2013 respectively, including 4.2—which included further optimizations, multi-user support for tablets, lock screen widgets, quick settings, and screensavers, and 4.3—which contained further improvements and upd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android Ice Cream Sandwich
Android Ice Cream Sandwich (or Android 4.0) is the fourth major version of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google. Unveiled on October 19, 2011, Android 4.0 built upon the significant changes made by the tablet-only release Android Honeycomb, in an effort to create a unified platform for both smartphones and tablets. The first phone with Android Ice Cream Sandwich was Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Android 4.0 was focused on simplifying and modernizing the overall Android experience around a new set of human interface guidelines. As part of these efforts, it introduced a new visual appearance codenamed "Holo", which was built around a cleaner, minimalist design, and a new default typeface named Roboto. It also introduced a number of other new features, including a refreshed home screen, near-field communication (NFC) support and the ability to "beam" content to another user using the technology, an updated web browser, a new contacts manager with social network ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android Honeycomb
Android Honeycomb is the codename for the third major version of Android, designed for devices with larger screen sizes, particularly tablets, however, it has also been unofficially ported to the Nexus One. It is the eighth version of Android and is no longer supported since November 14, 2016. Android Honeycomb debuted with the Motorola Xoom in February 2011. Besides the addition of new features, Android Honeycomb introduced a new so-called "holographic" user interface theme and an interaction model that built on the main features of Android, such as multitasking, notifications and widgets. Features New features introduced in Android Honeycomb include the following: * The Email and Contacts apps use a two-pane UI. * The Gallery app now lets users view albums and other collections in full-screen mode, with access to thumbnails for other photos in a collection. * The Browser app replaces browser windows with tabs, adds an incognito mode for anonymous browsing, and presents bo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android Gingerbread
Android 2.3 Gingerbread is the seventh version of Android, a version of the Android (operating system), Android mobile operating system developed by Google and released in December 2010. Version The Gingerbread release introduced support for near field communication (NFC)—used in mobile payment solutions—and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)—used in VoIP internet telephones. The first phone with Android Gingerbread was the Nexus S. Gingerbread's user interface was refined, making it easier to master, faster to use, and more power-efficient. A simplified color scheme with a black background gave vividness and contrast to the notification bar, menus, and other user interface components. Improvements in menus and settings resulted in easier navigation and system control. The Nexus S smartphone, released in December 2010, was the first phone from the Google Nexus line that ran Gingerbread, and also the first one from the line with built-in NFC functionality. , statistic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android Froyo
Android Froyo is the sixth version of Android and is a codename of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google, spanning versions between 2.2 and 2.2.3. Those versions are no longer supported. The name Froyo is short for frozen yogurt. Details It was unveiled on May 20, 2010, during the Google I/O 2010 conference. Google ceased sign-in support with a Google account for Android Froyo to Android Gingerbread on September 27, 2021. One of the most prominent changes in the Froyo release was USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality. Other changes include support for the Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM) service, enabling push notifications, additional application speed improvements, implemented through JIT compilation and displayed within applications as top-of-the-screen banners. Features 2.2.0 New features introduced by Froyo include the following: * Speed, memory, and performance optimizations. * Additional application speed improvements, implem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android Eclair
Android Eclair is a codename of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google, the fifth operating system for Android and the second major release of Android. Eclair spans the versions 2.0.x and 2.1. Unveiled on October 26, 2009, Android Eclair builds upon the significant changes made in Android 1.6 " Android Donut". The first phone with Android Eclair was the Motorola Droid. Google ceased Android Market support for Eclair on June 30, 2017. Features User experience The default home screen of Eclair displays a persistent Google Search bar across the top of the screen. The camera app was also redesigned with numerous new camera features, including flash support, digital zoom, scene mode, white balance, color effect and macro focus. The photo gallery app also contains basic photo editing tools. This version also included the addition of live wallpapers, allowing the animation of home-screen background images to show movement. Speech-to-text was first introduced, rep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Android Donut
Android 1.6 Donut is the fourth version of the open source Android mobile operating system developed by Google. Among the more prominent features introduced with this update were added support for CDMA smartphones, additional screen sizes, a battery usage indicator, and a text-to-speech engine. History After the public release of Android Donut—its official dessert-themed code name, the convention employed by Google to designate major Android versions— carriers were quick to follow with its roll out to customers in the form of an over-the-air (OTA) update for compatible smartphones. On September 27, 2021, Google announced that it would no longer allow signing in on Android devices running Android 2.3.7 (Gingerbread) or older. To log in, users must install at least Google Account Manager version 4.1.2, which requires Android 2.2 (Froyo) or later. Features New features introduced by Android Donut include the following: * Voice and text entry search enhanced to incl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
