Android

Android is a based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software, designed primarily for mobile devices such as s and s. Android is developed by a consortium of developers known as the and sponsored by Google. It was announced in November 2007, and first commercially released in September 2008 with the . It has become a major competitor to iOS and iPadOS from Apple Inc. Other major competitors such as and have since exited the market.
==Background==
Android is software; its source code is known as Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which is primarily licensed under the . However most Android devices ship with additional pre-installed, most notably (GMS) which includes core apps such as , the platform and associated development platform. About 70 percent of Android smartphones run Google's ecosystem; competing Android ecosystems and include (developed by Amazon) or . However the "Android" name and logo are s of Google which impose standards to restrict "uncertified" devices outside their ecosystem to use Android branding.
The source code has been used to develop variants of Android on a range of other electronics, such as s, s, s, PCs and others, each with a specialized user interface. Some well known derivatives include for televisions and for wearables, both developed by Google. Software packages on Android, which use the format, are generally distributed through proprietary s like , , , , and , or open source platforms like or .
==History==
The Android operating system was created at Android Inc., founded in October 2003 at Palo Alto, California. Co-founder Andy Rubin is a former engineer of Apple Computer who was nicknamed "Android" by his former co-workers there due to his interest in robotics.Disconnect: why Andy Rubin and Android called it quits by Adrianne Jeffries, The Verge. 2013-03-19. In 2005, Android was acquired by Google for 50 million. Rubin remained as an executive overseeing Android until he left Google in 2014 following an internal investigation into an alleged sex scandal.HHow Google Protected Andy Rubin, the ‘Father of Android’ by Daisuke Wakabayashi and Katie Benner, The New York Times. 2018-10-25.
Android has been the best-selling operating system worldwide on smartphones since 2011 and on tablets since 2013. As of May 2017, it had over two billion , the largest of any operating system, and as of January 2021, the Google Play Store featured over 3 million apps. Android users can install apps from unofficial sources on the open Internet through a process known as sideloading — doing the same on an iOS device would require jailbreaking. Apple CEO Tim Cook states that such security measures are in place to reduce malware attacks and protect user privacy. Cook has openly recommended Android for users who want to sideload apps.Tim Cook: Users Who Want to Sideload Apps Can Use Android, While the iPhone Experience Maximizes 'Security and Privacy' by Sami Fathi, MacRumors. 2021-11-09.
===Release history===
* "Astroid" (2008)
* "Petit Four" (Early 2009)
* "Cupcake" (Spring 2009)
* "Donut" (Fall 2009)
*-2.1 "Eclair" (Late 2009)
* "Froyo" (2010)
* "Gingerbread" (Late 2010)
*-3.2 "Honeycomb" (2011)
* "Ice Cream Sandwich" (2011)
*-4.3 "Jelly Bean" (2012-2013)
* "KitKat" (Late 2013)
*-5.1 "Lollipop" (Fall 2014)Android versions: A living history from 1.0 to 14, page 1 by JR Raphael, Computerworld. 2023-10-20.
* "Marshmallow" (2015)
*-7.1 "Nougat" (2016)
*-8.1 "Oreo" (2017)
* "Pie" (August 2018)
* "Queen Cake" (September 2019)
* "Red Velvet Cake" (September 2020)
* "Snow Cone" (October 4, 2021)Android 12 is live in AOSP! by Dave Burke, Android Developers. 2021-10-04.Android 12: Everything we know about Google's next mobile OS update by Ayush Chourasia, India Today. 2021-01-18.
* “Tiramisu” (August 15, 2022)Android 13 'Tiramisu': Everything you need to know about Google’s big 2022 update by Karthik Iyer, XDA. 2023-06-13.
* “Upside Down Cake” (October 4, 2023)Android versions: A living history from 1.0 to 14, page 2 by JR Raphael, Computerworld. 2023-10-20.Google reveals one interesting bit of information about 2023's Android 14 by Alan Friedman, PhoneArena. 2022-04-23.
* "Vanilla Ice Cream" (in development)Here Is What Android 15 Is Going To Be Called by Furquan Shahid, Wccftech. 2023-03-06.
Note: Android 1.x and versions 10 and up are not publicly referred to by their respective codenames; they are only used internally by staff and some enthusiasts. The dessert names were removed due to marketing considerations as users in some regions around the world may not know what the desserts are.Android's iconic dessert names are going away, starting with Android 10 by David Ruddock, Android Police. 2019-08-22.
===Migrating between Android and iOS===
In 2015, Apple introduced Move to iOS to facilitate the migration of user data from their Android phone to iOS. Over six years later in April 2022, Google introduced its own counterpart, Switch To Android.Google takes six years to copy Apple in releasing 'Switch to Android' app for iOS by Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider. 2022-04-17.
==Android on Apple hardware==
*BlueStacks is a popular method of running Android apps on Intel-based Macs and PCs from 2014 and later.BlueStacks App Player for Mac/PC (review) by Matt Fish, AndroidGuys. 2016-09-29. It has not yet been updated to support Apple Silicon or macOS Monterey.System specifications for installing BlueStacks on macOS, BlueStacks. 2021-11-01.
*The OpeniBoot team managed to get Android 1.x and 2.x to natively run on iOS hardware without emulation in a project called iDroid. They ported Android to the original and 3G iPhones, and 1st-generation iPod touch. The iPhone 3GS and 4, 1st-generation iPad, and 2nd and 4th-generation iPod touch are partially supported. However, the project has since been abandoned.OpeniBoot: Supported Devices, iDroid Project. Archived 2014-10-24.Status: OpeniBoot, iDroid Project. Archived 2012-09-19.
*The Project Sandcastle team managed to partially port Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) to 10 (Queen Cake) to some jailbroken Apple A10 devices, such as the iPhone 7 and 7th-generation iPod touch.Video Shows Jailbroken iPhone 7 Booting Ubuntu to Gnome Desktop by Christian Zibreg, Make Use Of. 2021-01-12. It is bootable, but is in beta, does not yet support the GPU, and is set to read-only as APFS support is unfinished. It is not yet usable on other devices.Status: What's currently supported, Project Sandcastle. Accessed 2021-08-05.
*thumb|128px|right|A YouTuber managed to install Android 2.2 (Froyo) on a -based 1st-generation Apple TV. Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) could also be installed, but with visual display issues of the color graphics.Android on Apple tv, slow and cursed but cool | Installation and testing by Kingdom3533, YouTube. 2021-05-22.
*A unmodified version of Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) can be installed on a white 2009 MacBook, but it is only partly stable after booting and apps will tend to crash.Installing Android 6 On a MacBook by RedTech, YouTube. 2016-09-27. Another Youtuber managed to boot 13, a distro of Android 6.1.3, on a 2008 MacBook model. However, the user interface will boot up sideways by default and will require some work to turn it back to normal orientation.CM13 Android CyanogenMod X86 (Lineage OS) on your MacBook - This is how to do it by channel48, YouTube. 2017-02-07.
*Google is developing Android Emulator to allow Android apps to run natively on Apple Silicon. 32-bit apps are not supported, so apps need to be -compatible.Android Emulator Apple Silicon Preview by Android Studio, Google. 2020-12-04.
==Android on counterfeit iOS devices==
Nearly all iPhone clones and knockoffs run some form of Android that has been modified to simulate iOS with varying degrees of accuracy. Some older ones may be running other firmware.How To Spot A Fake iPhone by Unbox Therapy, YouTube. 2016-08-13Fake iPhone 2G - Still Works After 8 Years by MJTech, YouTube. 2016-08-06.Airphone 4 Review (Fake iPhone 4) by ashens, YouTube. 2010-08-10.$160 Fake iPhone 11 Pro Max vs $1,449 11 Pro Max! by EverythingApplePro, YouTube. 2019-12-04.Testing out The Fake iPhone 11 Pro Max... by Phone Repair Guru, YouTube. 2021-03-30.$180 Fake iPhone 12 Pro Max vs $1,599 12 Pro Max! by EverythingApplePro, YouTube. 2020-11-25.
Despite having greater market share due to lower average cost, Android users are known to have "iPhone envy", leading to the rise of a genre of launcher apps that mimic the superficial appearance of the iOS user interface fairly closely. Some even manage to simulate some iOS-specific features such as the Weather app and Control Center10 iOS Launchers for Android to Alleviate Your iPhone Envy by William Harrel, Online Tech Tips. 2019-01-28.
==Gallery==
Android 4.4.2 on Jadoo 4.png|.2 "KitKat" on a Jadoo 4 media streaming console.
Remix OS Marshmallow.jpg||, a distro of "Marshmallow" on a PC.
Newline RS Series Oreo.jpg| "Oreo" running on a Newline TruTouch RS+ Series smart board.
Galaxy Tab S6 Lite Home.jpg| "Queen Cake" running on a Lite.
Moto e (2020) iOS Launcher Home Screen Queen.png| "Queen Cake" on a with a "Launcher" simulating iOS.
==References==
==External links==
*Android official website
**Switch to Android
**Android Developers
***Android Emulator Apple Silicon Preview
**Android Open Source Project
*Switch from Android to iPhone at Apple
**Move from Android to iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch at Apple Support
**Move to iOS by Apple at Google Play
*Android at the BetaWiki
* and at Wikipedia
 
Category:Google products
Category:Operating systems
Category:2008 introductions