ANDROID TECHNOLOGY

What is Android?

Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating

system, middleware and key applications. Google Inc. purchased the initial
developer of the software in 2005 and unveiling of the Android distribution was
announced on 5 November 2007.

Android is a Linux-based mobile phone operating system developed by

Google. Android is unique because Google is actively developing the platform but
giving it away for free to hardware manufacturers and phone carriers who want to
use Android on their devices. Android technology enables software developers a
medium to build applications for the Android phones.

ANDROID SDK
It is a software development kit that enables developers to create applications for
the Android platform. The Android SDK includes sample projects with source
code, development tools, an emulator, and required libraries to build Android
applications. Applications are written using the Java programming language and
run on Dalvik, a custom virtual machine designed for embedded use which runs on
top of a Linux kernel.
The Android SDK provides the tools and libraries necessary to begin developing
applications that run on Android-powered devices (like games, videos etc).
Recent versions

 2.0/2.1 (Eclair), which revamped the user interface and

introduced HTML5 and Exchange ActiveSync 2.5 support

 2.2 (Froyo), which introduced speed improvements

with JIT optimization and the Chrome V8 JavaScript engine, and
added Wi-Fi hotspot tethering and Adobe Flash support.
 2.3 (Gingerbread), which refined the user interface, improved the
soft keyboard and copy/paste features, and added support for Near
Field Communication.

 3.0 (Honeycomb), a tablet-oriented release which supports larger

screen devices and introduces many new user interface features, and
supports multicore processors and hardware acceleration for
graphics. The Honeycomb SDK has been released and the first
device featuring this version, the Motorola Xoom tablet, went on sale
in February 2011. Google has chosen to withhold the development
source code, which calls into question the "open-ness" of this Android
release. Rubin (one of 4 owners) however has stated that the source
code will be released for Honeycomb in the near future. The reason
for the delay, according to Rubin in an official android blog post, was
because Honeycomb was rushed for production of the Motorola Xoom
and that when Honeycomb is suitable for developer use is when it will
be released. 
The upcoming version of Android is:

 Ice Cream, a combination of Gingerbread and Honeycomb into a

"cohesive whole," with a possible release in mid-2011.

Features:
Handset layouts: The platform is adaptable to larger, VGA, 2D graphics library, 3D
graphics library based on OpenGL ES 2.0 specifications, and traditional smartphone layouts.

Web browser: The web browser available in Android is based on the open-
source WebKit layout engine, coupled with Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. The browser scores
a 93/100 on the Acid3 Test.

Connectivity: Android supports connectivity technologies

including GSM/EDGE, IDEN, CDMA, EV-DO, UMTS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE, and WiMAX.

Messaging: SMS and MMS are available forms of messaging, including threaded text

messaging and now Android Cloud to Device Messaging Framework (C2DM) is also a part of
Android Push Messaging service.
Storage: SQLite, a lightweight relational database, is used for data storage purposes.

Multi-touch: Android has native support for multi-touch which was initially made available in
handsets such as the HTC Hero. The feature was originally disabled at the kernel level (possibly
to avoid infringing Apple's patents on touch-screen technology at the time). Google has since
released an update for the Nexus One and the Motorola Droid which enables multi-touch
natively.

Bluetooth: Supports A2DP, AVRCP, sending files (OPP), accessing the phone book (PBAP),
voice dialing and sending contacts between phones. Keyboard, mouse and joystick (HID)
support is available through manufacturer customizations and third-party applications. Full HID
support is planned for Android 3.0 (Honeycomb).

Video calling: The mainstream Android version does not support video calling, but some
handsets have a customized version of the operating system which supports it, either
via UMTS network (like the Samsung Galaxy S) or over IP. Video calling through Google Talk
is planned for Android 3.0 (Honeycomb).

Multitasking: Multitasking of applications is available.

Market: The Android Market is a catalog of applications that can be downloaded and installed
to Android devices over-the-air, without the use of a PC.

Voice based features: Google search through Voice has been available since initial release.
Voice actions for calling, texting, navigation, etc. are supported on Android 2.2 onwards.

Android Market
Android Market is the online software store developed by Google for Android devices. An
application program ("app") called "Market" is preinstalled on most Android devices and allows
users to browse and download apps published by third-party developers, hosted on Android
Market. As of December 2010 there were about 200,000 games, applications and widgets
available on the Android Market, with an estimated 2.5 billion total downloads.

Only devices that comply with Google's compatibility requirements are allowed to preinstall
Google's closed-source Android Market app and access the Market. The Market filters the list of
applications presented by the Market app 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 announced the Android Market on 28 August 2008, and it was available to users on 22
October 2008. Support for paid applications was available from 13 February 2009 for US and
UK developers with additional support from 29 countries on 30 September 2010. In February
2011, the Android Market was made fully accessible on the web, allowing users to browse and
pick up applications using their PCs, send them to their mobile phone and make comments on
them. All this functionality was previously accessible only from mobile phone devices

Users can install apps directly using APK files, or from alternative app markets. Unlike Apple,
Google allows independent app stores to operate for Android.

Google applications
Google has also participated in the Android Market by offering several applications for its services. These
applications include Google Voice for the Google Voice service, Sky Map for watching stars, Finance for
their finance service, Maps Editor for their My Maps service, Places Directory for their Local
Search, Google Goggles that searches by image, Gesture Search for using finger-written letters and
numbers to search the contents of the phone, Google Translate, Google Shopper, Listen for podcasts and
My Tracks, a jogging application.

In August 2010, Google launched "Voice Actions for Android," which allows users to search, write
messages, and initiate calls by voice.

Market share
Research company, Canalys estimated in Q2 2009 that Android had a 2.8% share of
worldwide smartphone shipments. By Q4 2010 this had grown to 33% of the market, becoming the top-
selling smartphone platform. This estimate includes the Tapas and OMS variants of Android.

In February 2010, Comscore said the Android platform had 9.0% of the U.S. smartphone market, as
measured by current mobile subscribers. This figure was up from an earlier estimate of 5.2% in
November 2009. By the end of Q3 2010 Android's U.S. market share had grown to 21.4 percent.

In May 2010, Android's first quarter U.S. sales surpassed that of the rival iPhone platform. According to a
report by the NPD group, Android achieved 25% smartphone sales in the US market, up 8% from the
December quarter. In the second quarter, Apple's iOS was up by 11%, indicating that Android is taking
market share mainly from RIM, and still has to compete with heavy consumer demand for new competitor
offerings. Furthermore, analysts pointed to advantages that Android has as a multi-channel, multi-carrier
OS, which allowed it to duplicate the quick success of Microsoft's Windows Mobile.

In early October 2010, Google added 20 countries to its list of approved submitters. By mid-
October, purchasing apps will be available in a total of 32 countries. For a complete list of
countries that are allowed to sell apps and those able to buy them see Android Market.

As of December 2010 Google said over 300,000 Android phones were being activated daily, up
from 100,000 per day in May 2010.

In February 2011, during the 2011 Mobile World Congress, Eric Schmidt announced that

Android has reached 350,000 activations per day.

Service Providers:
The iPhone has been very popular for AT&T, but unless you void your warranty to unlock it,
you can only use an iPhone with AT&T. Android is an open platform, so many carriers can
potentially offer Android-powered phones. That doesn't mean individual carriers won't lock the
specific phone they sell you to their service, but every major carrier in the US offers an Android
phone. Android is currently the fastest growing phone platform in the world.

Data Plan:
To use Android on a phone, you need a data plan on top of your voice plan. You can't even
activate an Android phone without a data plan enabled. Some networks in the US offered tiered
data service, and some offer unlimited plans.

Google Services:
Because Google developed Android, it comes with a lot of Google services installed right out of
the box. Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, and Google Web search are all pre-installed,
and Google is also the default Web page for the Web browser. However, because Android can be
modified, carriers can choose to change this. Verizon Wireless, for instance, has modified some
Android phones to use Bing as the default search engine.

Touchscreen:
Android supports a touch screen and is difficult to use without one. You can use a trackball for
some navigation, but nearly everything is done through touch. Android also supports multi-touch
gestures such as pinch-to-zoom in versions 2.1 (Eclair) and above.

Keyboard:
The initial release of Android required a separate keyboard. However, "Cupcake," (Android 1.5)
and later editions have all supported an on-screen keyboard. That means you can use models like
the Verizon Droid 2 that include a slide-out physical keyboard or the HTC EVO that rely entirely
on the touch screen.

Android Cloud to Device Messaging Framework

Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM) is a service that helps developers sends data from
servers to their applications on Android devices. The service provides a simple, lightweight
mechanism that servers can use to tell mobile applications to contact the server directly, to fetch
updated application or user data. The C2DM service handles all aspects of queuing of messages
and delivery to the target application running on the target device.

The Bottom Line/Conclusion

Android is an exciting platform for consumers and developers. It is the philosophical opposite of
the iPhone in many ways. Where the iPhone tries to create the best user experience by restricting
hardware and software standards, Android tries to insure it by opening up as much of the
operating system as possible.

This is both good and bad. Fragmented versions of Android may provide a unique user
experience, but they also mean fewer users per variation. That means it's harder to support for
app developers, accessory makers, and technology writers (ahem). Because each Android
upgrade must be modified for the specific hardware and user interface upgrades of each device,
that also means it takes longer for modified Android phones to receive updates.

Fragmentation issues aside, Android is a robust platform that boasts some of the fastest and most
amazing phones and tablets on the market.