Android

Nowadays, when people think of "Android," they're probably not thinking of a humanoid robot. Android refers to a software for tablets, mobile phones, watches, in-car entertainment systems, and more. Google acquired Android in 2003 and it has since become the most popular operating system for mobile devices in the world. If you're new to Android, here is a quick guide that will get you up to speed.

What Is Android?

Since Android is an operating system, its purpose is to connect the user and the device. For example, when a user wants to send a text, Android provides the user with a button to tap. When the user taps the button, Android directs the phone to send the text.

Every year, Google releases major updates to the Android operating system. Even though Google plays a major part in the development of Android, Google provides the Android operating system to manufacturers for free. HTC, Samsung, LG, Huawei, Lenovo, and Sony are just a few of the manufacturers that run Android on the devices they manufacture. Android is now running on one billion devices.

A common question that many people have is why Android seems to look different on different devices. The answer to this is that there are multiple versions of Android. Since Android is an open-source software, manufacturers are able to make changes to the software for better or for worse. The "pure" or "vanilla" version of Android is called stock Android.

Android v.s. iOS?

iOS, Android's main competitor, is the operating system that runs on iPhones. There are both major and minor differences between Android and iOS. When it comes down to it, both operating systems can do the same things, such as connecting to Wi-Fi, running apps, sending text messages, and taking photos. However, there are major differences in terms of appearance, form, and feel.

Advantages of Android

The main advantage of Android is that the user has so many choices. There are thousands of different devices that run Android as its operating system. On the other hand, if you want the iOS, you need to buy an iPhone. The user also has many choices when it comes to Android's software. It is incredibly easy for users to customize how their phone works and looks with Android. There are also many quality apps on the Android store, thanks to the many Android app development companies out there. Android's app stores tend to be less controlled than Apple's app store, which encourages Android app developers to focus on Android app development.

What is Google Play / Play Store?

The Google Play Store refers to a marketplace where users can buy games, apps made by an Android app development company, books, movies, music, and more. This Play Store is a huge advantage of having an Android device. All the content you purchase will be connected with your Google account. That way, you will be able to access the content on any Android device logged into the Google account.

Undoubtedly, Android is not going away any time soon. Android has come a long way from its days in the early 2000's. For more information about the Android operating system and Android app development, feel free to contact us.