The History of Android and Its Versions

Android originally referred to robots with human appearances. Today, Android is more commonly known as an operating system that runs a good number of touch screen devices such as tablets and smartphones. The operating system is a product of Google, a behemoth in the online community. Android appears to be the ultimate software for modern gadgets but it has gone through a lot of modifications to achieve that status. This is only a version history of the paltform. If you would like to read about the history of the company that created it and how the OS has become so popular, you can go here: http://businessideaslab.com/android/ . or you can visit the site of the platform here: http://android.com.

Android 1.0

Android 1.0 was the first commercially released version of the Android software. It was released on September 23, 2008 and was first available in the HTC Dream. The version came with numerous features, but the most notable were:

·        Android Market

·        Web Browser

·        Google Applications

Android 1.5 Cupcake

Android 1.5 was released to the public on April 30, 2009. This version was named Cupcake, and was the first version to be named after a dessert. This theme would then be used on all consequent releases. Notable changes made in Cupcake were:

·        Improved Android Market App

·        Sleeker and more streamlined user interface (UI)

·        Screen auto-rotate feature

·        Browser Copy and Paste functions

·        Widget support

Other releases in 2009 were Donut and Éclair. These versions focused on camera improvements, text-to-speech engines, Bluetooth 2.1 and live wallpapers.

Android 2.2 Froyo

Frozen Yoghurt or Froyo was released on May 20, 2010. It was the first Android version to have the following:

·        Wi-Fi Hotspot functionality and USB tethering

·        Support for Adobe Flash

·        Home screen tips and dedicated home screen shortcuts

·        Support for Cloud to Device Messaging

Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Gingerbread was released on December 6, 2010. Up until February 2013, Gingerbread was the most popular and widely used version of Android. It ran almost 58% of all Android devices in September 2012. Notable changes that came with this version were:

·        UI updates for increased speed and simplistic design

·        Extra-large screen support

·        One-touch copy and paste functions and word selection

·        Codec support for multiple audio and video formats

·        Support for internet calls and integrated social networking

Android 3.0 Honeycomb

Honeycomb, which was released on February 22, 2011, was introduced as an operating system exclusive for tablet computers. It was first featured in the Motorola Xoom tablet that was released two days after the operating system. Its notable features are:

·        Holographic User Interface, optimized for tablets

·        Support for USB and Bluetooth keyboards and other plug-in devices (such as joysticks)

·        Support for multi-core processors

·        Incognito Mode for private browsing

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice Cream Sandwich was released to the public on October 19, 2011. It had major improvements over previous Android versions and could be integrated seamlessly into smartphones and tablet computers. Important features of this version are:

·        UI hardware acceleration

·        Photo editing applications

·        Support for facial recognition software

·        Wi-Fi Direct functionality

·        Improved support for dual and quad-core processors

Android 4.1 Jellybean

Jellybean is the latest Android version and it was released on June 27, 2012. This operating system was a product of “Project Butter”, a program that improved upon basic Android 4.0 functionalities to make them run as “smoothly as butter”. Notable features for this version are:

·        Support for HTML 5 websites

·        Photo Sphere for 360 degree photos

·        Support for plug-in Braille devices

·        Touch anticipation