Okay so I'm writing this article believing I'm talking to non-tech people. I'm sure tech ones already know all/most about android



[size=15pt]Very Brief History[/size]

Android operating system is owned by Google.

Google is an American company that majorly provide Internet services. Example is "Google search" a web search service.

Google services are free and they generate their income via advertising. That's why for example YouTube (a Google video streaming service) has to load a 6 seconds advert video before you can skip to watch what you actually wanted to watch.

Google biggest rival is Microsoft. As they both have very similar services.

As at year 2005 the only service Google did not have which microsoft had was an operating system.

By then android OS was already being developed by Android INC. So Google made a move and bought the company.

Android was originally built for cameras but following the announcement and release of the iPhone in 2007 by Apple. Google had to change the direction of Android OS to mobile phones.

Take note that smart phones existed before then. The likes of windows mobile and symbain. IPhone just introduced a new era of what a smartphone should be and Google followed suit.

Late 2007 Google announced the android OS for phones and the first android phone came in 2008 with the HTC Dream.

Now Android has become the most used mobile operating system and also widely used on smart wears and Internet of things devices.

[size=15pt]Characteristics Of Android[/size]

Android is free!!!!!
Just l like any other Google platform, android is also free. Free in the sense that for a phone manfacturer to use Android OS, the manfacturer pays Google nothing I.e N0 £0 $0

All the phone manufacturer does is accept to Google terms & condition and use.

So how do Google make money from android? Google play store remains android primary and most dependable source for android apps. Therefore no android phone can do without Google playstore. Google makes money from revenue gathered from playstore through apps sales and in app purchase.
But that's not all........
For a manufacturer to preload Google playstore on their phone, they must also install everyother app for Google service e.g Gmail app, Google search, Google chrome, maps by Google, Google play music, Google photos, Google plus, Google play games, YouTube etc. This is a compulsory mandate that Google has told all manfacturers to do if they must install Play store. Therefore if you use an android phone there is no way you won't use on of these service, and Google makes money with these services via adverts that run in them. Hope this makes sense. That's the reason you see all those Google apps on your android phone. Otherwise android can work and run on its own without any Google app or service. Android has its own browser, gallery, email, and so on. And a android version running without any Google service is called "forked android"

Well Android also being free has helped the operating system grow popularity among manufacturers in its early days, who does not like free things? So when iPhone was released, virtually every other phone was in trouble. And Google comes along and say, hey here is android that can help take your phone towards the iPhone direction, and it's free! That would save the company more money than building a new OS. And it was more reasonable to build your own OS than paying licence for someone else own that is nothing good. But is free so let's use it. One more thing is it was also open source! What's that? Check next paragraph.

Android is Open Sourced
This is one part so many people get wrong. Even before I understood it, it took a while. So I would try to explain it into very minute detail.

What does "open source" really mean?
It means you can take a project of someone else, edit it and make it better for your use. That simple. Please if anybody tell you any other thing apart from this, the person is wrong.

To further break it down. Let's assume I'm a programmer, and I made An app that displays "welcome" the code I would write in Java language is

Public static void main(Strings []arguments) {
System.out.println( "Welcome" ) ;
}

I hope I got the code well anyway, the code of an app or operating system is called the source code. Buy the time I compile and build the app, you would only see the app run and display Welcome. But you won't see the source code or know what I wrote. If I make my app open source, it means I have provided a site where you as another programmer can download the source code for my app, edit it and make it better for your use. I use the word download cos written codes are saved as files, these files are then packaged in a zip folder. So when you download, you unzip and open the files with an editor or IDE. An integrated development environment (IDE) is a software application that provides facilities to computer programmers for software development.

Therefore you can now edit my code to make your own app display something else like "you are welcome" and build the app again, you can even rename the app if you want. That is what open source mean!

So back to Android. Android was not built from scratch. no. Android is based on Linux OS. Meaning Linux source code was edited and android was born. Meanwhile Android itself was left open source, meaning the source code of android can be downloaded and edited to make the operating system even better for your use. Android itself Released from Google is called stock android, any other edited version of android what so ever is called custom android. Stock android most times comes with Nexus devices. Nexus phones are built by various manfacturers under contract from Google. For example, Nexus 1 was built by HTC, Nexus 3 by Samsung, Nexus 4,5,5x by lg, Nexus 6p by hauwei. Other phones that run stock android are android one devices like infinix hot 2 and Google play editions of flagship android devices.
Virtually every other phone runs custom version of android. Like Samsung phones android was edited and called "touchwiz", HTC called it's own modifications "sense", infinix also named their customised version of android "XUI". However there are companies who also make custom versions of android but do not build phones, instead they build this custom versions to work on already existing phones. Example and the must popular of them is cyanogenmod.companies like cyanogenmod , creates custom versions of android for specific phones and release it as ROMs free to anybody who wish to flash their device with a new custom android. Some new manufacturers has decided to even preload cyanogenmod on the phone they make. Some other companies even went as far as renaming their custom versions of android as a new OS e.g colour OS, oxygen OS. While some completely forked android to create almost a new operating system, e.g Amazon fire OS

Open source characteristics of android added to the reason why it was rushed by manufacturers. So instead of building a new OS, they just take android and tweak a few things in it without paying a dime.

Android versions are named alphabetical and after foods
Yes. You might have not have noticed. Versions 1.0 and 1.1 were not released under specific code names, but since April 2009's Android 1.5 "Cupcake", Android versions have had confectionery-themed code names. Each is in alphabetical order

Code Name .... Android Version .... API Level

A_________ ...... 1.0 ..................... 1
B_________ ...... 1.1...................... 2
Cupcake ......... 1.5 .................... 3
Donut ............. 1.6 ..................... 4
Eclair .............. 2.0–2.1............... 5–7
Froyo .............. 2.2–2.2.3 .......... 8
Gingerbread ... 2.3–2.3.7 ........... 9–10
Honeycomb ... 3.0–3.2.6 .......... 11–13
Ice Cream Sandwich..4.0–4.0.4 .... 14–15
Jelly Bean ...... 4.1–4.3.1............ 16–18
KitKat........... 4.4–4.4.4, 4.4W–4.4W.2 ..... 19–20
Lollipop .......... 5.0–5.1.1 ............. 21–22
Marshmallow .. 6.0–6.0.1 ............ 23
N .................... Developer Preview 2

People assume N would stand for Nutella, hmmmm.

Program languages
Android is written in C language but it's apps are written in Java language. Android uses XML as it's mock-up (front end) language. I know say Na only developers go understand this part. If you are not one, u don't need to bother understanding it.


[size=15pt]Advantages Of Android[/size]

Too Many Features
Android has the most features when it comes to mobile operating system. Android first ever version already had more features than iOS and others at that time. This is one way Google believed to win customers heart. And it kinda worked. Tons of new features are added to android with every update.

Too Many Apps
Google play store has more apps than any other app store in the world. This is due to the popularity and the attention the OS got in its early days, plus because it's free to publish apps in Google play store unlike apple app store where developers pay $99 to publish their app. Again android apps where written in already very familiar language........JAVA.

Too many Options
When it comes to customisation, android is king. You can change almost everything in the OS, from as basic as wallpapers and sounds, you can change the colour shape and overall look of anything, or change the way apps or the OS it self works.you can also change system values too like imei number.

[size=15pt]Disadvantages Of Android[/size]

Bootware
Recall I mentioned that if play store must be installed all other Google service follow suit. That's 1. 2. Some manufacturers now even added more pre installed apps that you may never never use. These has made android phones to have to many installed apps at brand new. to make things worse, these cannot be uninstalled. For example I buy an android phone that have Facebook pre-installed, and I don't use Facebook, now I have 1 app I don't use and can't uninstall.
Imagine a brand new Samsung phone even brand new s7 has
Samsung browser ----- Google Chrome
Samsung Store ------- play store
S voice ----- Google now
Email ----- Gmail
Music ----- play music
And so on...... That's how Samsung and most Android phones have 2-2 apps like that. And you can't uninstall non.

Very low device support
Truth is if you buy an high-end android today, after two years you'll be forgotten by the manufacturer and Google. If you now buy a low-end phone, you'll be forgotten one you step out of the store. Unlike android competitors(iOS & Windows) that provide long term support for their devices and provide software updates for them as long as they can run it without issues. Google and android is yet to get to that level. Google it self only provide support and push updates to Nexus devices within two years. Other manufacturers manage to do the same for their flagship devices only, which might be just 1 phone in about 3-4 phones they release per year, depending on the manufacturer. These other devices might never ever get software updates.

it's free and open source
Well, even if this is a characteristics of android that had helped the OS to grow. Many other manufacturers had used this to big disadvantage for android as they produce substandard devices and sell as "Android" puts one or two components together and install android, they even make clones and fakes of other devices and still install android, this has tricked so many people to buying clones, fakes and substandard phones and tablets. Some manufacturers edit the OS and add bootware that acts like malware and cannot be uninstalled or even disabled. For example, the phone I use has an app called "alarm controller" so it make you not suspect the app. When I'm connected to the internet, the app pushes full screen ads to my phone, it just comes up any time. It creates web shortcuts on my home screen, places ads in my notification, and even go as far as downloading and installing many apps (not 1, not 3, not 7) in the background the last time it did that, after install 5 apps, and I disconnected from the internet, it brought notification of 14 failed apps downloads. Now worst of it is, you can't uninstall the app, you can't disable it, you can't restrict background data, plus the app has a different name in data usage apps. So now I dont even buy data any longer on the phone. And it's not just my phone, I've also seen other people android phones that ads just show up on the screen.

[size=15pt]Future Of Android/Conclusion[/size]

Android is not yet near perfection, the OS is already very successful and still looks very promising. I'm one of few that is not really fascinated by android (I still prefer iOS) but Seeing android N preview, I was impressed to be honest. So android is the most popular and to some people the best mobile os and It still have a lot to offer, and I know with time Google work fix issues with android OS.

[size=15pt]Thinking of buying and Android Phone?[/size]
Here are the best and popular Android Phones in the market right now, in no particular order.

1. Samsung galaxy S7 / S7 edge
2. LG G5
3. HTC 10
4. Hauwei P9
5. Google Nexus 6P by Hauwei / 5X by LG
6. Blackberry Priv
7. Sony Xperia Z5 / Z5 compact / Z5 premium
8. OnePlus Two






Written by Me
Reference: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)

nicely written

adamix:
nicely written

Thanks

Cc lalasticlala, honsule

Waoh! Great job bruh,May God bless U n bless ur hussle. I love ds

THIS IS A VERY NICE ARTICLE, THIS TYPE OF STUFF IS WHAT SHOULD MAKE FRONTPAGE NOT ALL THEM DAMN CONTROVERSIES KUDOS. AM ENLIGHTENED

Congrats to you OP. You're a true example of what a good post should be all about.
Thanks. Very informative.
Lalasticlala!!!
Please come and redeem yourself.

[size=16pt]Easiest way to build android apps[/size]
If you already know a little HTML, here is a video tutorial on how to build very powerful android apps with html easily:
Watch the intro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4XO03fpdh8&list=PLnBvgoOXZNCM2C5hoDiLuRC2ufb-2LG9j&index=1

Very informative; thanks.

you people should be ashame , you have contributed zero advancement to technology - vex out of thread

I just realised android is far better than my iphone few days ago
I was in darkness for 7years stucked with iphone thinking i was enjoying life
After changing the screen 5 times in one year cost about 75.000 naira
I switched to android and now i am one of the happiest in the world
Go for android today you will never regret it
i will post picture of my iphone in few min,i refuse to change the screen again!
The only bad thing about these android phones is,the picture quality is very bad at night and the games are taking longer to load the next level

G

Booked!

Too long, Can't read

So gionee marathon 5 no follow abi Nice write up

hmmmm...learning

Good write up

No wonder the stern warning i got when i attempted to uninstall those google nonsenses

This thread for android lovers

The BEST phone OS ever made

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Any geek in the house please?
Like .

I have problem with my MTKDroid Tools
The app can't detect my mtk gionee phone and I have all the necessary drivers in place.
My PC runs on windows 8.1

.

I have a blackberry passport Silver edition, thinking of swapping it for BlackBerry Priv. Do you think is a good move?

How i wish most window apps are build in apk format to run on Andriods

Android leads, other learn

What kind of human beings write these kind of long things and expect me to sit down and start reading them?

Nice 1

Team IOS

b