Android (operating system)

Android is a mobile operating system initially developed by Android Inc., a firm purchased by Google in 2005. Android is based upon a modified version of the Linux kernel. Google and other members of the Open Handset Alliance collaborated to develop and release Android to the world.

  ^{The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android Unit sales for Android OS smartphones ranked first among all smartphone OS handsets sold in the U.S. in the second and third quarters of 2010 with a third quarter market share of 43.6%.}

Android has a large community of developers writing application programs ("apps") that extend the functionality of the devices. There are currently over 100,000 apps available for Android. Android Market is the online app store run by Google, though apps can be downloaded from third party sites (except on AT&T, which disallows this). Developers write in the Java language, controlling the device via Google-developed Java libraries.

The unveiling of the Android distribution on 5 November 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 78 hardware, software, and telecom companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Google released most of the Android code under the Apache License, a free software and open source license.

The Android operating system software stack consists of Java applications running on a Java based object oriented application framework on top of Java core libraries running on a Dalvik virtual machine featuring JIT compilation. Libraries written in C include the surface manager, OpenCore SQLite relational database management system, OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics API, WebKit layout engine, SGL graphics engine,SSL, and Bionic libc. The Android operating system consists of 12 million lines of code including 3 million lines of XML, 2.8 million lines of C, 2.1 million lines of Java, and 1.75  million lines of C++.

Android 3.0 to Arrive in January 2011

Android 3.0 the latest software update for the popular mobile operating system owned by Google, is reportedly set to launch in January 2011. Phone and tablets running the operating system have experienced an enormous boom within the past years, leaving consumers and developers’ alike hungry for a new release of the Android operating system.

The newest version of the platform, which is code-named “Gingerbread,” is set to upgrade the existing OS in multiple ways, including new video capabilities and rumored features that incorporate Google TV.

The popular operating system is currently being run by mobile phones built by a variety of different companies, including Samsung, Acer, Motorola, and HTC. Furthermore, Android is now one of the most popular operating systems for new tablet devices. Presently, Google has yet to comment on its upcoming Gingerbread release, though the company has confirmed that the release will be occurring within the next few months. Many have speculated that such a release could be announced at the CES 2011 conference, at the beginning of January.

In spite of all the speculation, some of the features of the new version are widely known. One such addition is video chat, which will support the protocols used by Google Talk. Furthermore, the OS will have the ability to receive Google Talk calls over a Wi-Fi connection. Such features directly challenge similar features in the Apple iPhone 4.0, which was released this past summer.

Additional video capabilities in the new generation of devices include the capability to link the mobile phone with Google TV products. The new operating system will reportedly allow users to control such products with their phone, which essentially operates as a remote control. These rich video and chat features are expected to continue the accelerating market share of Android devices.

Beyond the popular features recognized by casual users of Smartphones and tablets running Google’s operating system, the new Android release is expected to incorporate several features that translate into a faster end-user experience. For example, the new software is reported to have enhanced CPU performance, meaning shorter response times for users. In general, the OS is expected to experience a boost in overall speed, and should offer more power in the hardware department.

Regardless of which details of the new operating system ultimately prove to be speculative or true, one thing is certain: Google has effectively built an operating system that is consistently finding new adopters and fans. In fact, since its initial release in 2008, the operating system has found its way into the hands of users across the globe. According to current estimates, Android could potentially be in second place in the race for market share, as early as 2014. Current figures show market share to be constant at just over 16%, though analysts expect that figure to skyrocket more than 50% to 24.6% in the next four years. This surge in market share is attributed to many factors, including the lower price points of devices running on Android, and the presence of the Open Handset Alliance.