November 1, 2010

10 Things Android Does Better Than The iPhone

06-13-10- When Android first debuted on the HTC Dream (also known as the G1) back in October of 2008, it was deemed an "iPhone Killer." While it didn't quite slay Apple's handset, it was the first step in a revolution against the tyrannous iPhone. The initial Android platform bested the iPhone OS on several levels, but lacked some key functionalities that the iPhone could provide. Since then, Android has grown - not only meeting all of the functionalities of the iPhone, but besting it in nearly all aspects from an extensive list of devices to a growing Android Marketplace. Here is our list of the top 10 things Android does better than the iPhone.

1: Android can Run Multiple Apps at the Same Time



Starting with version 1.0, Android has been able to run multiple applications at the same time regardless of whether they are system apps or apps from the Android Marketplace. The current version of iPhone OS does offer limited multitasking, but only allows native applications such as Mail, iPod and Phone to run in the background. Android users benefit greatly from this discrepancy, as they can receive notifications, listen to music, or even record GPS data without keeping the application open. Apple will try to level the playing field with iPhone OS 4, granting developers access to a small and limiting list of APIs that can run certain services in the background, but it's a long way from the true multitasking that Android has.

2: Android Keeps Information Visible on Your Home Screen


One of the key features Android has is a customizable home screen keeps active widgets right at your fingertips, always accesible and always visible - without having to launch an application first. There are widgets for just about every app in the Android Marketplace from playing music to checking the weather and keeping up to date on Facebook. Meanwhile iPhone users are force to flip through their app list to locate and launch each app. If you wanted to check the forecast, for example, you would have to find the app, launch it, and then wait for it to load. With Android, all of that information can be displayed directly on your home screen, never more than a finger swipe away.

3: Android Has a Better App Market

It's true that Apple's App Store has over 180,000 applications, while the Android Marketplace has only just broken the 50,000 mark but Android's rapid growth and adoption give it the potential to catch up to the iPhone App Store. Android also has another advantage: a completely open market. Apple receives around 10,000 app submissions per week, yet many apps are overlooked because they appear too simple or denied because a similar app already exists. The Android Marketplace is driven entirely by its consumers, so the best app is the one that succeeds - not the first one to reach the market. In addition, the Android Marketplace doesn't censor its apps, so the possibilities are truly endless.

4: Android Gives You Better Notifications 


The iPhone has some trouble with notifications. Because it's restricted to pop-up notifications, it can only handle one at a time and because it lacks multitasking, applications must be open in order for them to make notifications. Android, on the other hand, has a convenient notification bar which displays an icon for every notification you have waiting. The notification bar can also be pulled downward to reveal more detail about each notification. Android also allows app developers to make notification details viewable from the lock screen, something the iPhone can only do with native applications.

5: Android Lets You Choose Your Hardware 


Apple users are encouraged to "Think Different" but when it comes to the actual hardware, they don't get much choice. You can pick the color, either black or white, and you get to choose between the 16GB or the pricier 32GB version. Other than that, you're stuck with the 3.5-inch, 320x480 pixel display, 256MB of RAM, and 600MHz processor. Because Android is an open platform, manufacturers have the freedom to pair it with any hardware they want, like the Nexus One (with 3.7-inch, 480x800 pixel display, 512MB of RAM, and 1GHz Snapdragon processor) or the Motorola Droid which has a physical keypad. Obviously, available selections will vary by carrier - speaking of which....

6: Android Lets You Choose Your Carrier

AT&T truly is the iPhone's weakest link. The iPhone's success turned the country's fastest 3G network into a staggering mess of dropped calls and dodgy data connections. If you lust after an iPhone and live in an area with poor AT&T coverage, you're stuck struggling with low signal quality, slow data speeds, and missed calls. Android devices are available on every major cellular carrier (although AT&T only offers a single, somewhat underpowered, Android phone). Verizon has the Motorola Droid, Droid Eris, and Droid Incredible to start. T-Mobile has the Nexus One, MyTouch 3G, Behold II, and will soon carry the MyTouch Slide. And Sprint has the Hero, Moment, and plans for the very promising Evo 4G. No matter where you live, Android lets you pick the carrier that's best for you.

7: Android Lets You Install Custom ROMs



The iPhone can be Jailbroken for some additional functionality, like installing apps that aren't available in the App Store, but the overall experience is the same. You're still stuck with the same exact interface. Similar to the Jailbreaking movement, Android has a small community dedicated to building custom ROMs for Android devices. Not only do Custom ROMs bring the same functionality Jailbreaking does, but they also bring an additional level of customization to your phone. There are ROMs that port custom UIs from one device to another. Other ROMs strip down bulky features and optimize for speed. With Android, nothing is out of reach.

8: Android Lets You Change Your Settings Faster


Smartphones have been gaining more and more functionality over the past few years: Wi-Fi, GPS, 4G, Bluetooth, etc. While these are all great and necessary additions, they have very adverse affects on battery life. In attempts to counter poor battery life, users have taken to toggling system settings like turning on Wi-Fi or 3G on only when they are needed. iPhone users are stuck digging around in the system settings every time they want to use the internet or a Bluetooth device. Android lets you use widgets to manage your settings directly from your home screen - and for those lesser-used settings that might not have dedicated widgets, you can also create shortcuts on your home screen to take you directly to the setting you want to change.

9: Android Does Google and Social Integration


With Smartphones giving us constant connectivity, it's not surprising that the majority of our computerized lives are moving online. We have email for our messages, Flickr for our photos, Google Docs for our documents, and Facebook and Twitter for our social lives. Android offers the ability to integrate all of this natively. Your Gmail account can be automatically synchronized with your phone. Photos taken with your phone can be automatically uploaded to Flickr. Your phone can even be linked to your Facebook account and can sync your phone contacts with your Facebook friends - complete with profile images, email addresses, and phone numbers. The iPhone can do this only through use of third party apps, and is nowhere near as seamless to use as the Android alternative.

10: Android Gives You More Options to Fit Your Budget 

If you've ever thought about buying an iPhone, you have probably noticed the price tag. The older iPhone 3G costs $99 with a two-year commitment and performs sluggishly with the latest OS updates when compared to the 3GS (which will run you a whopping $199 with two-year agreement). Because Android is an open source platform, it is very cost effective to implement which means savings for the end user. Every major cellular carrier (except for AT&T) has at least one Android phone available free with two-year agreement. Of course these are lower end Android devices, but they are still comparable in performance to the iPhone 3GS. The most expensive Android phones (which significantly outperform the iPhone 3GS) are  $199 with two-year contract.

Source: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/10_things_android_does_better_iphone?page=0,0

About Android OS- from Wiki


Android is a mobile operating system initially developed by Android Inc., a firm purchased by Google in 2005.[4] Android is based upon a modified version of the Linux kernel. It is a participant in the Open Handset Alliance.[5] Unit sales for Android OS smartphones ranked first among all smartphone OS handsets sold in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2010, at 33% [6][7][8], achieving a market share of 20% in May 2010, second to Apple iOS.[9]
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,[10] which makes it the second most popular mobile development environment.[11]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.[12]
The unveiling of the Android distribution on 5 November 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 78 hardwaresoftware, and telecom companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.[13][14] Google released most of the Android code under the Apache License, a free software and open source license.[15]
The Android operating system software stack consists of Java applications running on a Java based object oriented application frameworkon top of Java core libraries running on a Dalvik virtual machine featuring JIT compilation. Libraries written in C include the surface manager, OpenCore[16] media frameworkSQLite relational database management systemOpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics APIWebKit layout engineSGL 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++.[17]





History

[edit]Acquisition by Google

In July 2005, Google acquired Android, Inc., a small startup company based in Palo Alto, California, USA.[18] Android's co-founders who went to work at Google included Andy Rubin (co-founder of Danger),[19] Rich Miner (co-founder of Wildfire Communications, Inc.),[20] Nick Sears (once VP at T-Mobile),[21] and Chris White (headed design and interface development atWebTV).[22] At the time, little was known about the functions of Android, Inc. other than that they made software for mobile phones.[18] This began rumors that Google was planning to enter the mobile phone market.
At Google, the team led by Rubin developed a mobile device platform powered by the Linux kernel which they marketed to handset makers and carriers on the premise of providing a flexible, upgradable system. It was reported that Google had already lined up a series of hardware component and software partners and signaled to carriers that it was open to various degrees of cooperation on their part.[23][24][25] More speculation that Google would be entering the mobile-phone market came in December 2006.[26] Reports from the BBC and The Wall Street Journal noted that Google wanted its search and applications on mobile phones and it was working hard to deliver that. Print and online media outlets soon reported rumors that Google was developing a Google-branded handset.[27] More speculation followed reporting that as Google was defining technical specifications, it was showing prototypes to cell phone manufacturers and network operators.
In September 2007, InformationWeek covered an Evalueserve study reporting that Google had filed several patent applications in the area of mobile telephony.[28][29]

[edit]Open Handset Alliance

"Today's announcement is more ambitious than any single 'Google Phone' that the press has been speculating about over the past few weeks. Our vision is that the powerful platform we're unveiling will power thousands of different phone models."
Eric SchmidtGoogle Chairman/CEO[5]
On the 5th of November 2007, the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of several companies which include Texas Instruments,Broadcom CorporationGoogleHTCIntelLGMarvell Technology GroupMotorolaNvidiaQualcommSamsung ElectronicsSprint Nextel and T-Mobile was unveiled with the goal to develop open standards for mobile devices.[5] Along with the formation of the Open Handset Alliance, the OHA also unveiled their first product, Android, a mobile device platform built on the Linux kernel version 2.6.[5]
On 9 December 2008, it was announced that 14 new members would be joining the Android project, including PacketVideoARM HoldingsAtheros CommunicationsAsustek Computer IncGarmin LtdSoftbankSony EricssonToshiba Corp, and Vodafone Group Plc.[30][31]

[edit]Licensing

With the exception of brief update periods, Android has been available under a free software / open source license since 21 October 2008. Google published the entire source code(including network and telephony stacks)[32] under an Apache License.[33]
With the Apache License, vendors can add proprietary extensions without submitting those back to the open source community.

[edit]Update history

Android has seen a number of updates since its original release. These updates to the base operating system typically fix bugs and add new features. And generally, each update to the Android operating system is developed under a code name based on a dessert item.
1.1Released 9 February 2009
1.5 (Cupcake)
Based on Linux Kernel 2.6.27
On 30 April 2009, the official 1.5 (Cupcake) update for Android was released.[34][35] There were several new features and UI updates included in the 1.5 update:[36]
  • Ability to record and watch videos through camcorder mode
  • Uploading videos to YouTube and pictures to Picasa directly from the phone
  • A new soft-keyboard with text-prediction
  • Bluetooth A2DP and AVRCP support
  • Ability to automatically connect to a Bluetooth headset within a certain distance
  • New widgets and folders that can populate the Home screens
  • Animated screen transitions
1.6 (Donut)
Based on Linux Kernel 2.6.29[37]
On 15 September 2009, the 1.6 (Donut) SDK was released.[38][39] Included in the update were:[37]
  • An improved Android Market experience
  • An integrated camera, camcorder, and gallery interface
  • Gallery now enables users to select multiple photos for deletion
  • Updated Voice Search, with faster response and deeper integration with native applications, including the ability to dial contacts
  • Updated search experience to allow searching bookmarks, history, contacts, and the web from the home screen
  • Updated technology support for CDMA/EVDO802.1xVPNs, and a text-to-speech engine
  • Support for WVGA screen resolutions
  • Speed improvements in searching and camera applications
  • Gesture framework and GestureBuilder development tool
  • Google free turn by turn navigation
2.0/2.1 (Eclair)
Based on Linux Kernel 2.6.29[40]
On 26 October 2009 the 2.0 (Eclair) SDK was released.[41] Among the changes were:[42]
  • Optimized hardware speed
  • Support for more screen sizes and resolutions
  • Revamped UI
  • New Browser UI and HTML5 support
  • New contact lists
  • Better contrast ratio for backgrounds
  • Improved Google Maps 3.1.2
  • Microsoft Exchange support
  • Built in flash support for Camera
  • Digital Zoom
  • MotionEvent class enhanced to track multi-touch events[43]
  • Improved virtual keyboard
  • Bluetooth 2.1
  • Live Wallpapers
The 2.0.1 SDK was released on 3 December 2009.[44]
The 2.1 SDK was released on 12 January 2010.[45]
2.2 (Froyo)[46]
Based on Linux Kernel 2.6.32[47]
On 20 May 2010 the 2.2 Frozen Yogurt (Froyo) SDK was released.[2] Changes included:[48]
  • General Android OS speed, memory, and performance optimizations[49]
  • Additional application speed improvements courtesy of JIT implementation[50]
  • Integration of Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine into the Browser application
  • Increased Microsoft Exchange support (security policies, auto-discovery, GAL look-up, calendar synchronization, remote wipe)
  • Improved application launcher with shortcuts to Phone and Browser applications
  • USB tethering and Wi-Fi hotspot functionality
  • Added an option to disable data access over mobile network
  • Updated Market application with batch and automatic update features[49]
  • Quick switching between multiple keyboard languages and their dictionaries
  • Voice dialing and contact sharing over Bluetooth
  • Support for numeric and alphanumeric passwords
  • Support for file upload fields in the Browser application[51]
  • Browser can now display animated GIFs (instead of just the first frame)
  • Support for installing applications to the expandable memory[52]
  • Adobe Flash 10.1 support[53]
2.3 (Gingerbread)[54]
Based on Linux Kernel 2.6.33 or .34[47]
Scheduled for Q4 2010 launch. Confirmed new features:
Unconfirmed new features:
  • Android Market music store[58]
  • Media streaming from PC library[58]
  • Revamped UI[59]
  • Support for bigger screens with up to Wide XGA (1366×768) resolution [60]
  • New 3D Games support including new Marketplace area for gaming
  • Use of mksh for /system/bin/sh[61]
  • Support for video calls
  • Support for WebP image files
  • Support for Google TV
 ? (Honeycomb)[62]
Scheduled for 2011 launch. Feature list started with features that won't make the cut-off for Gingerbread
 ? (Ice Cream)[64]

[edit]Features

Current features and specifications:[65][66][67]

The Android Emulator default home screen (v1.5).

Architecture Diagram
Handset layoutsThe platform is adaptable to larger, VGA2D graphics library, 3D graphics library based on OpenGL ES 2.0 specifications, and traditional smartphone layouts.
StorageSQLite, a lightweight relational database, is used for data storage purposes
ConnectivityAndroid supports connectivity technologies including GSM/EDGEIDENCDMAEV-DOUMTSBluetoothWi-FiLTE, andWiMAX.
MessagingSMS 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.
Web browserThe 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.
Java supportWhile Android applications are written in Java, there's no Java Virtual Machine in the platform and Java byte code is not executed. Java classes get recompiled into Dalvik executable and run on Dalvik virtual machine. Dalvik is a specialized virtual machine designed specifically for Android and optimized for battery-powered mobile devices with limited memory and CPU. J2ME support can be provided via third-party-application such as the J2ME MIDP Runner.[68]
Media supportAndroid supports the following audio/video/still media formats: H.263H.264 (in 3GP or MP4 container), MPEG-4 SPAMR,AMR-WB (in 3GP container), AACHE-AAC (in MP4 or 3GP container), MP3MIDIOgg VorbisWAVJPEGPNGGIF,BMP.[67]
Streaming media supportRTP/RTSP streaming (3GPP PSS, ISMA), HTML progressive download (HTML5
Additional hardware supportAndroid can use video/still cameras, touchscreensGPSaccelerometersgyroscopesmagnetometersproximity andpressure sensorsthermometers, accelerated 2D bit blits (with hardware orientation, scaling, pixel format conversion) and accelerated 3D graphics.
Development environmentIncludes a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE.
MarketLike many phone-based application stores, the Android Market is a catalog of applications that can be downloaded and installed to target hardware over-the-air, without the use of a PC. Originally only free applications were supported. Paid-for applications have been available on the Android Market in the United States since 19 February 2009.[69] The Android Market has been expanding rapidly. As of August 3, 2010, it had over 100,000 Android applications for download.[70] There are other markets, such as SlideME and Getjar, but Google's Android Market is the only one whose downloader is installed on every Google Android phone.
Multi-touchAndroid 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).[71] Google has since released an update for the Nexus One and the Motorola Droid which enables multi-touch natively.[72]
BluetoothSupport for A2DP and AVRCP were added in version 1.5;[36] sending files (OPP) and accessing the phone book (PBAP) were added in version 2.0;[42] and voice dialing and sending contacts between phones were added in version 2.2.[48]
VideocallingThe mainstream Android version doesn't support videocalling,[73] however some handsets could have a customized version of the operating system which supports it (like the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S and HTC Evo 4G).
MultitaskingMultitasking of applications is available.[74]
Voice based featuresGoogle search through Voice is available as Search Input since initial release.[75] Also launched Voice actions supported on Android 2.2 onwards.
TetheringAndroid supports tethering, which allows a phone to be used as a wireless/wired hotspot (All 2.2 Froyo phones, unofficial on phones running 1.6 or higher via applications available in the Android Market, e.g. PdaNet). To allow a laptop to share the 3G connection on an Android phone software may need to be installed on both the phone and the laptop [76]

[edit]Hardware running Android

The Android OS can be used to power cellphones, netbooks and tablet PCs, including the Dell StreakSamsung Galaxy Tab and other devices.[77][78]
The world's first TV running Android, called Scandinavia, has also been launched by the company People of Lava.[79]
The first commercially available phone to run the Android operating system was the HTC Dream, released on 22 October 2008.[80]

[edit]Software development


Early Android device.
The early feedback on developing applications for the Android platform was mixed.[81] Issues cited include bugs, lack of documentation, inadequate QA infrastructure, and no public issue-tracking system. (Google announced an issue tracker on 18 January 2008.)[82] In December 2007, MergeLab mobile startup founder Adam MacBeth stated, "Functionality is not there, is poorly documented or just doesn't work... It's clearly not ready for prime time."[83] Despite this, Android-targeted applications began to appear the week after the platform was announced. The first publicly available application was the Snake game.[84][85] The Android Dev Phone is a SIM-unlocked and hardware-unlocked device that is designed for advanced developers. While developers can use regular consumer devices purchased at retail to test and use their applications, some developers may choose not to use a retail device, preferring an unlocked or no-contract device.

[edit]Software development kit

The Android SDK includes a comprehensive set of development tools.[86] These include a debuggerlibraries, a handset emulator (based onQEMU), documentation, sample code, and tutorials. Currently supported development platforms include x86-architecture computers running Linux(any modern desktop Linux distribution), Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later, Windows XP or Vista. Requirements also include Java Development Kit,Apache Ant, and Python 2.2 or later. The officially supported integrated development environment (IDE) is Eclipse (3.2 or later) using the Android Development Tools (ADT) Plugin, though developers may use any text editor to edit Java and XML files then use command line tools to create, build and debug Android applications as well as control attached Android devices (e.g., triggering a reboot, installing software package(s) remotely).[87]
A preview release of the Android software development kit (SDK) was released on 12 November 2007. On 15 July 2008, the Android Developer Challenge Team accidentally sent an email to all entrants in the Android Developer Challenge announcing that a new release of the SDK was available in a "private" download area. The email was intended for winners of the first round of the Android Developer Challenge. The revelation that Google was supplying new SDK releases to some developers and not others (and keeping this arrangement private) has led to widely reported frustration within the Android developer community.[88]
On 18 August 2008 the Android 0.9 SDK beta was released. This release provided an updated and extended API, improved development tools and an updated design for the home screen. Detailed instructions for upgrading are available to those already working with an earlier release.[89] On 23 September 2008 the Android 1.0 SDK (Release 1) was released.[90]According to the release notes, it included "mainly bug fixes, although some smaller features were added". It also included several API changes from the 0.9 version.
On 9 March 2009, Google released version 1.1 for the Android dev phone. While there are a few aesthetic updates, a few crucial updates include support for "search by voice, priced applications, alarm clock fixes, sending gmail freeze fix, fixes mail notifications and refreshing intervals, and now the maps show business reviews". Another important update is that Dev phones can now access paid applications and developers can now see them on the Android Market.[91]
In the middle of May 2009, Google released version 1.5 (Cupcake) of the Android OS and SDK. This update included many new features including video recording, support for the stereo Bluetooth profile, a customizable onscreen keyboard system and voice recognition. This release also opened up the AppWidget framework to third party developers allowing anyone to create their own home screen widgets.[92]
In September 2009 the "Donut" version (1.6) was released which featured better search, battery usage indicator and VPN control applet. New platform technologies included Text to Speech engine (not available on all phones), Gestures & Accessibility framework.[93]
Android Applications are packaged in .apk format and stored under /data/app folder on the Android OS. The user can run the command adb root to access this folder as only the root has permissions to access this folder.

[edit]App Inventor for Android

On July 12, 2010 Google announced the availability of App Inventor for Android, a Web-based visual development environment for novice programmers, based on MIT's Open Blocks Java library and providing access to Android devices' GPS, accelerometer and orientation data, phone functions, text messaging, speech-to-text conversion, contact data, persistent storage, and Web services, initially including Amazon and Twitter.[94] "We could only have done this because Android’s architecture is so open," said the project director, MIT's Hal Abelson.[95]Under development for over a year,[96] the block-editing tool has been taught to non-majors in computer science at Harvard, MIT, Wellsley, and the University of San Francisco, where professor David Wolber developed an introductory computer science course and tutorial book for non-computer science students based on App Inventor for Android.[97][98]

[edit]Android Developer Challenge

The Android Developer Challenge was a competition for the most innovative application for Android. Google offered prizes totaling 10 million US dollars, distributed between ADC I and ADC II. ADC I accepted submissions from 2 January to 14 April 2008. The 50 most promising entries, announced on 12 May 2008, each received a $25,000 award to fund further development.[99][100] It ended in early September with the announcement of ten teams that received $275,000 each, and ten teams that received $100,000 each.[101] ADC II was announced on 27 May 2009.[102] The first round of the ADC II closed on 6 October 2009.[103] The first-round winners of ADC II comprising the top 200 applications were announced on 5 November 2009. Voting for the second round also opened on the same day and ended on November 25. Google announced the top winners of ADC II on November 30, with SweetDreams, What the Doodle!? and WaveSecure being nominated the overall winners of the challenge.[104][105]

[edit]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 MyMaps 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",[106] which allows users to search, write messages, and initiate calls by voice.

[edit]Third party applications

With the growing number of Android handsets, there has also been an increased interest by third party developers to port their applications to the Android operating system. Notable applications that have been converted to the Android operating system include ShazamDoodle Jump, and WeatherBug.
The Android operating system has grown significantly, and a lot of the most popular internet sites and services have created native applications. These include MySpaceFacebook, andTwitter.
As of 15 July 2010, the Android Marketplace had over 70,000 applications, with over 1 billion downloads.[107][108]

[edit]Languages (locales)

The locales for Android are:
(from Android 2.2)
  • Chinese, People's Republic of China (zh_CN)
  • Chinese, Taiwan (zh_TW)
  • Czech (cs_CZ)
  • Dutch, Netherlands (nl_NL)
  • Dutch, Belgium (nl_BE)
  • English, United States (en_US)
  • English, United Kingdom (en_GB)
  • English, Canada (en_CA)
  • English, Australia (en_AU)
  • English, New Zealand (en_NZ)
  • English, Singapore(en_SG)
  • French, France (fr_FR)
  • French, Belgium (fr_BE)
  • French, Canada (fr_CA)
  • French, Switzerland (fr_CH)
  • German, Germany (de_DE)
  • German, Austria (de_AT)
  • German, Switzerland (de_CH)
  • German, Liechtenstein (de_LI)
  • Hebrew, Israel (iw_IL)
  • Italian, Italy (it_IT)
  • Italian, Switzerland (it_CH)
  • Norwegian
  • Japanese (ja_JP)
  • Korean (ko_KR)
  • Polish (pl_PL)
  • Russian (ru_RU)
  • Spanish (es_ES)[109]

[edit]Native code

Libraries written in C and other languages can be compiled to ARM native code and installed using the Android Native Development Kit. Native classes can be called from Java code running under the Dalvik VM using the System.loadLibrary call, which is part of the standard Android Java classes.[110][111]
Complete applications can be compiled and installed using traditional development tools.[112] The ADB debugger gives a root shell under the Android Emulator which allows native ARM code to be uploaded and executed. ARM code can be compiled using GCC on a standard PC.[112] Running native code is complicated by the fact that Android uses a non-standard C library (libc, known as Bionic). The underlying graphics device is available as a framebuffer at /dev/graphics/fb0.[113] The graphics library that Android uses to arbitrate and control access to this device is called the Skia Graphics Library (SGL), and it has been released under an open source license.[114] Skia has backends for both win32 and Unix, allowing the development of cross-platform applications, and it is the graphics engine underlying the Google Chrome web browser.[115]

[edit]Community-based firmware

There is a community of open-source enthusiasts that build and share Android-based firmware with a number of customizations and additional features, such as FLAC lossless audio support and the ability to store downloaded applications on the microSD card.[116] This usually involves rooting the device. Rooting lets users load modified firmwares allowing users of older phones to use applications available only on newer releases.[117]
Those firmware packages are updated frequently, incorporate elements of Android functionality that haven't yet been officially released within a carrier-sanctioned firmware, and tend to have fewer limitations. CyanogenMod and VillainROM are two examples of such firmware.
On 24 September 2009, Google issued a cease and desist letter[118] to the modder Cyanogen, citing issues with the re-distribution of Google's closed-source applications[119] within the custom firmware. Even though most of Android OS is open source, phones come packaged with closed-source Google applications for functionality such as the application store and GPS navigation. Google has asserted that these applications can only be provided through approved distribution channels by licensed distributors. Cyanogen has complied with Google's wishes and is continuing to distribute this mod without the proprietary software. He has provided a method to back up licensed Google applications during the mod's install process and restore them when it is complete.[120]

[edit]Scripting Layer for Android (SL4A)

SL4A (previously Android Scripting Environment) allows the creation and running of scripts written in various scripting languages directly on Android devices.
These scripts have access to many of the APIs available to normal Java Android applications, but with a simplified interface. Scripts can be run interactively in a terminal, in the background, or via Locale (which can trigger based on location).
Currently supported languages are:
  • Python
  • Perl
  • JRuby
  • Lua
  • BeanShell
  • JavaScript
  • Tcl
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[edit]Marketing


Android robot logo.

[edit]Logos

The Android logo was designed with the Droid font family made by Ascender Corporation.[121]
Android Green is the color of the Android Robot that represents the Android operating system. The print color is PMS 376C and the RGB color value in hexadecimal is #A4C639, as specified by the Android Brand Guidelines.[122]

[edit]Typeface


Text logo.
The custom typeface of Android is called Norad, only used in the text logo.[123]

[edit]Market share

Research company Canalys estimates that by Q2 2009, Android had a 2.8% share of the worldwide smartphone market.[124] By the following quarter (Q3 2009), Android's market share had grown to 3.5%.[125]
In February 2010 ComScore ranked the Android platform as obtaining a 9.0% of the smartphone platform marketshare. This figure was up from an earlier estimate of 5.2% stated in November 2009.[126] In July 2010 ComScore revised Android's share for 3 months March/April/May 2010 to 13.0%, an increase of 4 percentage points, 0.2 percentage points behind Microsoft whose share had dropped 1.9%.[127]
Analytics firm Flurry estimates that 250,000 Motorola Droid phones were sold in the United States during the phone's first week in stores.[128]
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 28% smartphone sales in the US market, up 8% from the December quarter. In the second quarter, Apple's iOS was up by 1%, indicating that Android is taking market share mainly from RIM, and still has to compete with heavy consumer demand for new competitor offerings.[6] Furthermore, analysts point to advantages that Android has as multi-channel, multi-carrier OS, which has allowed it to duplicate the quick success of Microsoft's Windows Mobile.[129]
According to an interview with Eric Schmidt in The Guardian, Android is getting 160,000 new users per day (end June 2010) up from 100,000 per day in May 2010.[130]
As of August 4, 2010 Google is now activating 200,000 new phones to the Android platform per day according to Eric Schmidt.[131]
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.[132]
Here are the 20 new countries that are now allowed to sell apps:
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • Hong Kong
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Mexico
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Philippines
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
And, here are the 18 new countries that will soon be able to buy them:
  • Argentina
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Mexico
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Singapore
  • Sweden
  • Taiwan

[edit]Android OS usage share


Data collected during two weeks ending on October 1, 2010
Other: 0.1% of devices running obsolete versions[133]
Platform↓API Level↓Distribution↓
Android 2.2 (Froyo)833.4%
Android 2.1 (Eclair)740.4%
Android 1.6 (Donut)416.4%
Android 1.5 (Cupcake)39.7%

[edit]Restrictions and issues

Google tracks issues and feature requests publicly at Google Code's site.[134]

[edit]Linux compatibility

  • Android's kernel was derived from Linux but has been tweaked by Google outside the main Linux kernel tree.[135] Android does not have a native X Window System nor does it support the full set of standard GNU libraries and this makes it difficult to port existing GNU/Linux applications or libraries to Android.[136] However, support for the X Window System is possible.[137]
  • Google no longer maintains the code they previously contributed to the Linux kernel as part of their Android effort, effectively branching kernel code in their own tree, separating their code from Linux.[138][139][140] This was due to a disagreement about new features Google felt were necessary[citation needed]. The code which is no longer maintained was deleted in January 2010 from the Linux codebase.[141] However, Google announced in April 2010 that they will employ staff to work with the Linux kernel community.[142]

[edit]Networking issues

[edit]Issues concerning application development

  • Android does not use established Java standards, i.e. Java SE and ME. This prevents compatibility among Java applications written for those platforms and those for the Android platform. Android only reuses the Java language syntax, but does not provide the full-class libraries and APIs bundled with Java SE or ME.[147] However, the Myriad Group claim that their new J2Android tool can convert Java MIDlets into Android applications.[148][149][150]
  • Developers have reported that it is difficult to maintain applications on multiple versions of Android, owing to compatibility issues between versions 1.5 and 1.6,[151][152] especially the different resolution ratios in use among various Android phones.[153] Such problems were pointedly brought into focus as they were encountered during the ADC2 contest.[154]
  • The rapid growth in the number of Android-based phone models with differing hardware capabilities also makes it difficult to develop applications that work on all Android-based phones.[155][156][157][158] As of August 2010, 64% of Android phones run the 2.x versions, and 36% still run the 1.5 and 1.6 versions[159]

[edit]Other issues

  • Older versions of Android do not readily support Bluetooth file exchange,[160] although it may still be achieved with some hacking.[161] Bluetooth is supported by more recent phones.[162]
  • Android does not support video calls as do other mobile operating systems,[73] such as Apple’s iOSSymbian OS, and Windows Mobile, although third-party applications like Qikallow video calling over Internet on some models and video broadcasting on others.[163]
  • In version 2.2 the rSAP protocol is missing which many vehicles use for handsfree.[164]
  • Using the native Google Calendar functionality for Android phones, an Android device user runs into the same limitations that exist in the Calendar application. The most noticeable defect is the lack of proper time zone support: it is not possible to set the time zone for start/end times of events.[165][166][167] Because of this issue, some users experience difficulty while traveling with Android devices.[168]
  • As of the 2.2 release, Android does not have full Unicode support.[169] Developers are reporting rendering issues, support for conjunct consonants, etc.[170]
  • Android supports all the file systems supported by the linux kernel, with its own limitations. For read/write access to other popular filesystems, Tuxera launched Tuxera File System Suite, which combines NTFSexFAT and HFS+ for Android.[171]

[edit]Claimed infringement of copyrights and patents

On the 12th of August 2010, Oracle, owner of Java since it acquired Sun Microsystems in April 2009, sued Google over claimed infringement of copyrights and patents. The lawsuit claims that, "In developing Android, Google knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle's Java-related intellectual property."[172] Oracle has named Boies, Schiller & Flexner as part of its legal team.[173]
Specifically the patent infringement claim references seven patents including United States Patent No. 5,966,702, entitled “Method And Apparatus For Preprocessing And Packaging Class Files”, and United States Patent No. 6,910,205, entitled “Interpreting Functions Utilizing A Hybrid Of Virtual And Native Machine Instructions”.[174] It also references United States Patent No. RE38,104, (“the '104 patent”) entitled “Method And Apparatus For Resolving Data References In Generated Code” authored by James Gosling best known as the father of theJava programming language.[175]
According to Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney, Android is based on a clean room reverse-engineered version of Java, called Dalvik, which was developed without using any Sun technology or intellectual property. Oracle says Dalvik is a competitor to Java and infringes several of its patents, which are listed in the complaint, and its Java copyright.[172][176] While officially claiming that "Android is not Java", Google at the same time calls the suit an "attack on Java community",[177] making a distinction between "official Java" and "Java in general".
The Free Software Foundation has said that Google could have avoided this suit by building Android on top of IcedTea whose GPL license provides some protection against patents, instead of implementing it independently under the Apache License. It has also called the suit a "clear attack against someone's freedom to use, share, modify, and redistribute software".[178]