Timeline of Android

Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google, based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. In addition, Google has further developed Android TV for televisions, Android Auto for cars, and Wear OS for wrist watches, each with a specialized user interface. Variants of Android are also used on game consoles, digital cameras, PCs and other electronics.

Android was first created in 2003 by Andy Rubin, who first started developing the OS for digital cameras. Soon, he realized that the market for digital camera operating systems perhaps wasn’t all that big, and Android, Inc. diverted its attention toward smartphones. The first lowly operating system running on the HTC Dream.

Google Acquired Android, Inc. in July 2005. At Google, an OS based on Linux kernel was developed after this. The Open Handset Alliance was formed in 2007 and the first smartphone running Android (HTC Dream) was released on October 22, 2008.

Then Samsung used customisation on Android and build its own experiences on top.  Samsung has been Android’s champion for years and there are hundreds of other smartphone and device manufacturers who license and use Android on their products.

OnePlus, a rising Chinese smartphone manufacturer is just one of Google’s licensees. It creates a modified version of Android called Oxygen OS, which runs on the companies smartphones including the recently released OnePlus 3T.

But that act of Google making both Android and a phone that run; it could be seen as a big kick in the teeth to long-time licenses of the mobile operating system who have driven its success.

For the years, the creator, Google, only made a small number of own-brand devices running it for developers and enthusiasts. That changed with the release of the Pixel that is Google’s first real attempt to challenge Apple and Samsung’s smartphone dominance, but it wasn’t made by the same team that makes Android.

 

Then year after year Google’s open-source moves with Android and giving it away free with a liberal license to make it your own.

The journey from Android 1.0 to Android P...

Android 1.0

Android 1.0 was obviously far less developed than the operating system we know and love today, but there are a few similarities. Android 1.0 boasted the ability to use home screen widgets, a feature that iOS did not have. In fact, iOS still doesn’t let you put widgets on your home screen.Another groundbreaking innovation in Android is the Google Play Store, which, at the time, was called the Market.

Cupcake

After that, Cupcake (v1.5) was the first version of Android had deep integration with Gmail, a service that had already taken off at the time. That major update to Android not only got a new version number, but it was the first to use Google’s naming scheme too. It was the first version of Android to have an on-screen keyboard; before that, manufacturers had to include physical keyboards on their devices.

While widgets were supported in earlier versions of Android, third-party developers couldn’t create and implement them. Starting with Cupcake, Google opened the widgets SDK to third-party developers, which was an important move. Now, many developers bundle at least one widget with their app. With this version, there was another change recognised that was video capturing. Before Cupcake, Android did not support video capture, with earlier versions of Android could only capture photos. That all changed with Cupcake.

Donut

Next came Android 1.6 Donut; it gave users a pretty big update much bigger of an update than the 0.1 version number increase suggests. It adding support for CDMA networks such as Verizon, Sprint, and a number of big networks in Asia. It was the first version of Android to support different screen sizes, meaning that manufacturers could create devices with the display sizes they wanted and still run Android.

Donut also added the quick search box that basically allowed users to quickly search the web, local files, contacts, and more directly from the home screen without having to open any apps. Donut also introduced a few aesthetic changes to Android, such as a redesigned Android Market, which offered more curation over top free and paid apps.

Eclair

Then came v2.0 Eclair, bringing some massive changes to the operating system, many of which are still around today. It featured Google Maps navigation, for instance. Since then, Maps has changed a lot. A few important features showed up in the service that is still present today, such as turn-by-turn navigation and voice guidance. Eclair added HTML5 support to the browser, the ability to play videos, and the lock-screen which got a major refresh and allowed users to swipe to unlock. From the lock screen, users could also change the phone’s mute mode.

Froyo

Next version Android 2.2 Froyo was first released in 2010; offering users five home screen panels instead of three, and showing off a redesigned Gallery app. Froyo was the first version of Android to bring mobile hotspot support. Users also finally got the PIN lock screen, which was perfect for those who didn’t really like the pattern lock screen that was previously offered in Android.

Gingerbread

After that, v2.3 Gingerbread was released in the same year. Google chose the Samsung-built Nexus S for this one, however, a phone that was derived from Samsung’s highly-successful Galaxy S. Gingerbread saw a redesign of Android’s stock widgets and home screen. This version also came with an improved keyboard which offered new coloration for the keys as well as improved multitouch support which allowed users to press multiple keys to access a secondary keyboard. Gingerbread added support for the front-facing camera that brings selfie-lovers the ability to portray themselves in social media platforms with the new dimension.

Honeycomb

Then v3.0 Honeycomb was coming in 2011. It was first showcased on a Motorola device that eventually became the Xoom. Honeycomb provided a few design cues to lead what would appear in future versions of Android. Google switched to blue accents on top of that. Honeycomb removed the need for the physical button, Instead of that, the home, back, and menu buttons were all included in the software as virtual buttons, means all they are hidden or shown based on the application.

Ice Cream

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was released in the same year. Google and Samsung paired up once again for the release of the Galaxy Nexus which showcased Ice Cream Sandwich, an operating system that brought many of Honeycomb’s features over to the smartphone. Ice Cream Sandwich brought over the aforementioned virtual buttons, a refined interface that made use of the blue highlights. Other features such as face unlock, data usage analysis, and new apps for mail and calendar were also included in this update.

Jelly Bean

In 2012, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean came, It brings a quick swipe from the home screen and brought information that is calendar events, emails, weather reports. All to a single screen. The feature was really Google’s first major stab at a digital assistant, and it laid the groundwork for future versions of digital assistants, including Google’s new Google Assistant. Not only that, a number of other important additions were implemented in Jelly Bean such as Project Butter which was aimed at drastically improving Android’s touch performance by tripling the headset’s buffering graphics. Refreshed font, expandable notifications, greater widget flexibility, and other features were also added in Jelly Bean.

KitKat

Then came v4.4 KitKat in 2013. represented one of the biggest aesthetic changes to the operating system to date, modernizing the look of Android. The blue accents found in Ice Cream Sandwich and Jellybean were replaced with a more refined white accent, and a number of the stock apps that came with Android were redesigned to show lighter color schemes. Apart from a new look, KitKat also brought things like the “Ok, Google” search command which allowed the user to access Google Now at any time. It also brought a new phone dialer, full-screen apps, and a new Hangouts app, which offered SMS support along with support for the Hangouts messaging platform.

Lollipop

In 2014, Android 5.0 Lollipop, which debuted that it was the first to feature Google’s “Material Design” philosophy. Google replaced the aging Dalvik VM with Android Runtime, for example, which boasted ahead-of-time compilation. Alongside that, we saw a number of notification upgrades, the addition of RAW image support, and a host of other refinements. Lollipop version also saw the addition of another version of Android that is dubbed Android TV, which brought Android to the big screen and is still in use on plenty of TVs today.

Marshmallow

Next came Android 6.0 Marshmallow in 2015. It brought the design changes especially on the app menu which almost completely changed and used a white background instead of black. Added a search bar to help users quickly find the app they need. It also brought the addition of the memory manager, which allowed you to check the memory usage of any app used within the past hours. In Marshmallow, we got access to a more comprehensive set of volume controls, allowing to change the volume for the device, media, and alarms. This Android officially supported fingerprint sensors and permissions got a significant revamp. Instead of apps requesting all permissions upfront when downloaded, permissions are requested on a per-permission basis when they’re required.

Nougat

Next up is Android 7.0 Nougat in 2016. Perhaps the biggest change to Android in Nougat is that Google Now has been replaced with the newfangled Google Assistant. It brought an improved notifications system, which tweaks how notifications look and act within the OS. Notifications are now presented from screen to screen, and unlike previous iterations of Android, they can be grouped together for easy management. Multitasking also gets a boost with Nougat. Whether you’re using a phone or a tablet, you are able to use split-screen mode, allowing you to use two apps at once without having to exit out of each app every few minutes.

Oreo

And the latest Android is v8.0, the heat is now making sure that as many devices as possible are updated to Android 8.0 Oreo, with some phones still waiting. As a general rule, if your phone was made in the last two years, there is a good chance you’re in luck, though every manufacturer is different and it depends on which device you own.

P

Android P on the horizon.

 

Android 8.0 and 8.1 Oreo run on around 5.7 percent of active Android devices, according to the Android Developer Dashboard. Android 7.0 Nougat is currently the reigning king with maximum number of devices.