Android devices are on boom because of the large application base it currently have. This article will tell you what is Android?
Android is a software heap for mobile handsets which packages an OS(operating system), central layer and purpose driven programs and applications.
Buzz about ‘Android‘ is everywhere and millions of eyes are waiting for Google’s debut in Mobile phone Industry but there are still many guys who don’t really know what “Android” is all about,its background and about its launchpad “HTC Dream” & related details.So,here’s our first Dummies guide(hmm..smart branding !) which briefs up everything about Android.
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What is Android ?
A software heap for mobile handsets which packages an OS(operating system),central layer and purpose driven programs/applications.Android SDK(Software Development Kit)being just a ‘beta level OS’ comes with the tools,APIs and instruction guide necessary to start developing applications on the Android platform using Java as the only programming language.
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Origin of Android
Android Inc. was a small startup based at Palo Alto,CA.It was led by Andy Rubin(Co-founder of Danger) followed by Rich Miner,Nick Sears(ex-VP at T-Mobile), and Chris White.They basically used to develop softwares for mobile handsets.
As Google was planning to enter the mobile phone market,they purchased their entry ticket by acquiring Android Inc. in July 2005.The Android team at Google is also led by Andy Rubin.
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Is Android Open source ?
Yes it is. An Open Handset Alliance(OHA) was established in November 2007,led by Google and other 33 member companies(HTC, Intel, Motorola, Qualcomm, Samsung,LG,T-Mobile,Nvidia and others) to develop open standards for mobile devices.
Android is the flagship product of OHA.All parts of this OS will be released under the Apache License where applicable and under the GPL elsewhere.
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Android’s launchpad
It’s the HTC Dream aka T-Mobile G1 which will gracefully hold the title of “First Android powered smartphone“.The tentative date of launch is October 22,2008 and it will cost $179[Updated after press release]
This Android powered smartphone will have cluster of features in its kitty.Thanks to HTC(Handset supports all the features).Have a glipse of the features of T-Mobile G1…
- Screen size : 3.17″ with HVGA (480 x 320)
- 528Mhz Qualcomm 7201 processor
- 64MB Internal RAM
- 128MB Internal ROM
- 1GB MicroSD card
- 5 Row QWERTY keypad
- Quad Band (850, 900, 1800, 1900)
- 3G
- Trackball
- Dedicated camera button
- 3.1MP camera (no flash) 2048 x 1536
- Video playback files – H.264, streaming, 3GPP, MPEG4, and Codec 3GP
- Dedicated YouTube Player
- Audio playback files – MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, MPEG4, WAV, MIDI, REAL AUDIO, OGG
- Wallpaper supports JPG, BMP, PNG, and GIF
- Speakerphone (mono, natch)
- Ringtones (MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA)
- HTTP, WAP Push, xHTML
- Bluetooth (class 1)
- Picture Caller ID
- SMS and MMS support (Take that Apple!)
- POP, IMAP, and SMTP, AOL, and GMAIL email
- AIM, MSN, YAHOO, and GTALK messaging
- 802.11b & 802.11g
- UMTS (1,4), HSDPA, SUPL
- 1150mA battery
- Handset 117 x 55 x 16mm
- 5.6 oz weight
- Sync capable with Google Calendar
- Downloadable content via Android Marketplace
- Google Streetview with built-in compass
- Data kit for USB connectivity in the box
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Android’s competition
Mobile OS platforms developed by Apple inc,Nokia and few others
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Any criticism ?
Android has faced a decent amount of criticism for not being all open-source software despite the announcement by Google.Many parts of the SDK are proprietary and according to the grapewine,Google has intentionally done this to have a firm control over the technology.
Also,Android’s disregard of popular Java standards, such as Java SE and ME has left many developers under huge frustration.This means,the Java applications written for SE and ME won’t be compatible with Android platform(which is a Java based platform).
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