And the creator of the operating system of the same name, Andy Rubin, founded the Essential company and firmly decided to create his own unique smartphone. Andy even teased Internet users with photographs of this very smartphone, but was in no hurry to share details about it. And finally, the official presentation of the gadget called Essential Phone took place. What makes it remarkable compared to its competitors? This is what we will now try to figure out.
Firstly, the smartphone has an almost frameless screen, if you do not take into account its lower part with standard Android buttons. At the top, an 8-megapixel front camera “cuts” right into the screen. The entire interface adapts to it so that no elements on the screen overlap. Due to this, an amazing effect of enlarging the screen is created, and the aspect ratio is 19:10 instead of the traditional 16:9. The diagonal LTPS display measures 5.71 inches and its resolution is 1312 by 2560 pixels. At the same time, it boasts a good brightness of 500 nits.
The main camera of the smartphone is designed in a very original way. Firstly, the gadget is equipped with two 13-megapixel sensors. The first one shoots in the RGB range, and the second one shoots in monochrome. The device can focus using phase and laser detection. The camera is capable of shooting video in 4K resolution at 30 frames per second. At 1080p resolution the frame rate increases to 60 frames per second, and at 720p resolution it increases to 120 frames per second. The front camera has an f/2.2 aperture, which will allow you to take great selfies, even if the ambient lighting is far from ideal.
But that's not all! To the right of the two main camera lenses are magnetic contacts to which an additional smartphone accessory is attached - a 360-degree camera equipped with two 12-megapixel sensors, fish-eye lenses and four built-in microphones. This device will allow you to shoot video with a resolution of 3840 by 1920 pixels and a frequency of 30 frames per second. they assure us that in the very near future additional accessories will be released, such as the Essential Phone Deck charging station with magnetic connectors, as well as other useful devices for smartphone owners.
The edges of the smartphone are framed by a titanium frame that is resistant to scratches or bending when the device falls to the ground. The back cover of the gadget is made of ceramic and offers the user a choice of four color schemes: “black moon”, “star gray”, “pure white” or “ocean depths”. The device screen is covered Gorilla Glass fifth generation. The width of the smartphone is 71.1 millimeters, and it weighs 185 grams. As central processor Essential Phone uses Snapdragon 835. Also on board the gadget is 4 GB random access memory, 128 GB of permanent memory, and the battery capacity is 3040 mAh. The smartphone will cost $699 (plus another $50 if you want to purchase a 360-degree camera). The device will go on sale within the next month.
Today, few people have not heard the word “Android”. When you enter a mobile phone store, you may be surprised by the abundance of this name. The same thing happens at a computer hardware store. What is this strange “android” and where did it suddenly come from?
Let's start with the fact that "Android" is simply an operating system that is the "heart" of any device that has a processor. For example, Windows is an operating system, but there are many others. One of them is “Android”, moreover, this system is very quickly becoming popular and threatens to capture a considerable part of the market for processor devices. Why is this happening?
"Android"- an open source operating system, that is, program developers for it - programmers - can easily write their programs for this system. In addition, the Android core is lightweight Linux version, another popular operating system, which is famous for its low hardware requirements and reliability. This allowed Android to settle on devices such as smartphones, netbooks, laptops, smartbooks and even wrist watch and photo frames! But the development of new versions is still in full swing. Who came up with such a system?
The first to create it were not new to mobile systems - Rich Miner from the Wildfire company, Andy Rubin, who founded the Danger company, Nick Sears, former vice president of the T-Mobile operator, and Chris White, one of the engineers at WebTV. new company. They called it "Android Inc". This was back in 2005. There was a new company in California, in the city of Palo Alto. She developed programs for mobile technology, including phones and smartphones. They also began work on a new mobile operating system.
The company's independence did not last long - in the same 2005, the giant Google corporation bought a small company, and since then all work has been carried out under its supervision. By the way, all four founders of Android Inc. took positions in the corporation Google high positions - Rich Miner, for example, became its vice president. This suggests that Google management had high hopes for the company's development - operating system, which was given the same name - “Android”. And they were right.
Initially, the Android system was conceived as an open source system. And so it was. When each version appeared, it was immediately posted on general access all necessary documentation. This makes it easier for programmers to create new programs. In addition, competitions were regularly held for the most useful or unusual applications for this system. For example, the first such competition was held in 2008 and had a prize fund of $10 million. Many winners received prizes ranging from $25,000 to $275,000. All this became possible thanks to the active promotion of this product by such a giant as Google. Android Inc would hardly have achieved such results on its own.
The first version of Android was officially released in 2008, and on September 23, 2008, the presentation of the first device that worked entirely under the control of this system took place. It was the T-Mobile G1 smartphone from HTC. After that, many manufacturers expressed a desire to produce similar devices. This is also explained by the fact that Google's management again showed enviable foresight - under their leadership, the OHA (Open Handset Alliance) alliance was created of 34 large companies - manufacturers of mobile equipment, software for it and cellular operators. All of them were interested in developing the Android operating system and hoped to benefit from it, each in their own way, of course. This subsequently caused such popularity of Android on tablets, smartphones and netbooks. The cooperation between software and hardware manufacturers produced unprecedented results - the system turned out to be very successful and convenient.
On October 19, 2011, the fourth version of the Android system was released. It's called Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. By the way, all versions have different culinary names, except for the first two, which had the names of robots - that’s why the system’s logo depicts a robot. Although this is latest version, but version 2.2 - 2.3 is considered the most stable so far. All the following are still awaiting debugging and correction of identified errors.
The history of the creation of Android was not without scandals. For example, Steve Jobs, head of the famous Apple, declared this system his enemy, and said that he was ready to spend all his money on its destruction. The reason is the alleged theft of some software parts of the system from Apple. In addition, when it was not posted source 3rd version of Android, many began to accuse the creators of the system of hiding it. Even despite the developers' statements that this version is unfinished, and after the publication of the codes of the 4th version, the dissatisfied did not calm down.
Today mobile devices based on the Android system are confidently conquering the market. If for a year or two they were a curiosity, now they have practically filled the shelves. They even push Apple's iOS system. The point is the versatility of Android - it can be easily installed on almost any device. Even on iPhone with it iOS system Android is easy to install. Maybe that's why Steve Jobs was so opposed to this system? This competitor will show itself yet...
Today we will begin a series of articles devoted to the history of Android development. The first part will begin with the background, with how the system originated and what the mobile market was like at that time. In truth, many users were not even interested in this issue, were not interested in the development of what millions of users around the world use today. So let's finally understand what real Android is.
I would like to start from the moment when Android was not even planned yet. It was 2005. At that time, smartphones based on Symbian, Windows Mobile, and the company’s devices became widely popular on the market. Even at that time, phones were not so stupid, and they could well be called smartphones. Now, of course, for us these times seem very distant and long forgotten, but this is not so.
By the way, at the same time there was not even Twitter yet, and YouTube was considered a dubious startup, however, Vista was then among the ranks of innovative operating systems, and Apple actively denied the fact of developing the iPhone.
The most popular and innovative devices of that time were considered to be laptops, which today, unfortunately, and perhaps fortunately, are becoming victims of the development of other, more convenient means of communication.
Several years ago, before Android existed, there was a company called Danger, which was founded by former Apple engineer Andy Rubin. Andy was born in 1962 and grew up in New York (Chappaqua). He was the son of a psychologist who soon founded his own company. As a child, Rubin was interested in BBS (a way for computer users to communicate via dial-up telephone networks).
Zarko Draganic, Rubin's former colleague at Apple: "The classic Rubin approach is: You do something just for the sake of doing it, because it's cool..."
The company's main achievement was the development of the Hiptop smartphone. The device had a landscape keyboard, as well as software with which you could instantly share messages, surf the Internet and send email. In partnership with T-Mobile, Danger rebranded Hiptop as Sidekick.
The device became popular due to its unique business model, which was significantly different from other business models of the time. However, Larry Page and Sergey Brin soon noticed the company; their interest lay in the wider distribution of Google's search engine. Then, for unknown reasons, Andy Rubin was removed from his post as head of Danger, and he soon created a new company. His goal was to develop a completely open platform.
Founding of Android Inc.
The Android company has not produced or released any products for two years. At this time, Rubin and a small team of software engineers were trying to create a new generation of software for smartphones, and the main parameter was open source. In general, Android became more of a logical continuation of everything that Rubin managed to achieve in Danger.
Investors quickly picked up the company's idea and began to support it, at the same time Google saw in Android what it needed. It needed a smartphone company to beat Microsoft and BlackBerry. Page and Brin wanted to see more devices on the market with Google's search engine, because even then services were of great importance, and Android, as an open source platform, was ideally suited to the requirements of Google's founders. And in July 2005, Google bought Android Inc. for 50 million dollars.
First prototypes
However, it should be understood that without hardware the software is useless. How many of you remember which smartphone is on Android based was the very first? Your answer is probably incorrect. The very first prototype of the first Android smartphone was Sooner. The device was very similar in appearance to BlackBerry devices, as it had a full QWERTY keyboard.
The device was equipped with a display with a resolution of 320 x 240, a 1.3 megapixel camera, 64 megabytes of RAM, as well as GPRS support, a removable battery and even a slot for an SD card.
The reason for having a full keyboard and abandoning the touch display was the reluctance of consumers to switch to touchscreen smartphones. Even the iPhone was appreciated by few at first.
Graham Wheeler, director of service and products for HTC in Europe, believes that cooperation with Google was quite risky for HTC, because at that time Microsoft played a significant role in the market with its Windows Mobile, and Google at that time was not on the best terms with the latter . However, HTC decided to take a risk; the personal acquaintance of Peter Chow (CEO of HTC, who was recently removed from his position) and Andy Rubin from the days of Danger was of great importance in this. HTC saw promise in Android, because when developing the system, the emphasis was on access to the Internet, Andy wanted to give people the chance to “put” the Internet in their pockets.
“I remember my emotions then. We knew something big was at stake. Google was behind it all. I think we knew there was some potential in this - to give users an internet experience, to give people a platform and admin rights, and the freedom that we had as a manufacturer to push innovation. Google's strategy was very different from Microsoft's: Okay, we give you the platform and you can make your own changes. We want you - HTC - to make changes." - Graham
iPhone influence
There is no denying the influence of the iPhone on the development of Android, in particular, we are talking about the Sooner prototype. Yes, the iPhone was not the first fully touchscreen smartphone on the market, but Apple managed to rethink the way we use smartphones, focusing on responsiveness and touchscreen. However, then - in January 2007, when the iPhone 2G was shown - the heads of many leading companies of that time spoke unflatteringly about the new Apple product and even grinned.
Steve Ballmer, then the head of Microsoft, ridiculed the iPhone for its high price, carrier restrictions, and low data transfer speeds. BlackBerry manufacturer RIM also disdained iPhone release.
However, only Google understood the seriousness of what was happening. And while everyone was ridiculing Apple’s brainchild, Google was busy working on a new smartphone. What happened to Sooner? It had to be abandoned.
“As a consumer, I was simply amazed. I wanted an iPhone immediately. However, as a Google engineer, I thought we needed to start over... We had a smartphone that looked like a phone from the 90s... And this was the case where everything seemed obvious,” - Chris De Salvo.
Andy's reaction was no less interesting:
“Yadryona Matryona! I don't think we should start shipping this phone (Sooner)."
Then it was decided to launch the touchscreen HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) on the market. However, we would like to see the Sooner as well, because the device looks very attractive to this day. Of course, the iPhone played a crucial role in the development of Android, and this is a case where healthy competition allows innovative products to come out ahead of schedule, even given the reluctance of consumers to use the product.
HTC Dream became one of the most innovative smartphones of its time. Externally, the device resembled a Sidekick. Technically, it probably won’t seem so advanced to you, but for that time it was quite enough to maintain relatively fast work systems. Dream was equipped with a single-core processor with a clock frequency of 528 MHz, 192 megabytes of RAM, and a 3.2-inch display with a resolution of 320 x 480.
The HTC Dream was sold worldwide, unlike the original G1, which was locked to T-Mobile. Google gave HTC the opportunity to sell the G1 under its own brand. HTC Dream has become great smartphone based on Android. Why? Because Google decided to take a chance.
Based on materials from androidcentral
Today's last Android version has serial number 5 and code name Lollipop. The system has received significant updates in design, functionality, in general, it is practically a newly created product. Now there are smartphones Google Nexus 5 have started to be updated to this OS version, and soon that's it modern smartphones will receive current update. However, we will tell you about the new 5.0 separately, but I still want to start from those times when the Android project did not even belong to Google...
Android: Beginning
Many people believe that the history of Android began in 2008 when the first version of Android 1.0 was released. But in fact, everything started 5 years earlier, in 2003, when Andy Rubin and his friends (Nick Sears, Chris White and Rich Miner) decided to create a mobile operating system and registered the company Android Inc. The developers first focused on devices that could be constantly with users, determine location using GPS and automatically adapt to a person’s needs.
Andy Rubin, creator of Android Source: technobuffalo.com
For investors of that time, it was unlikely that anything was clear at all. Well, who wants to invest money in an incomprehensible startup that doesn’t bring in any money yet... And so it happened that by 2005 Andy and friends spent all their funds, but by a lucky coincidence Google took a closer look at them and on August 17, 2005 the corporation became a full-fledged corporation owner of small Android Inc. It is worth noting that Google at that time did not have any special plans for gadgets, but was more focused on improving its own software and search algorithms. It’s scary to say, but at that time Google did not have any Adsense or even YouTube (it was acquired only in 2007).
Google logo in 2005
In the same year, against the backdrop of legal proceedings between Oracle and Google, it was decided that Android would be a free operating system and, of course, primarily focus on the implementation of Google services. Since Andy Rubin was initially involved in a project related to GPS, and the corporation already had Maps, it was planned to introduce maps into phones. Moreover, there were no smartphones at that time, so the cards could appear on a regular folding phone with buttons. The first images also indicate that Google was looking to RIM's experience with their Blackberry, so if not for a coincidence, touch phones might not have appeared. But, unfortunately or fortunately, the iPhone came out in 2007 and Google sharply revised its strategy. However, the first build of Android 1.0 is being prepared for release in 2008. However, at the beginning of 2007, Google does not have a partner that would release a phone on the new OS. Nokia is too large a company with which there will be a conflict of interest; Motorola has not yet recovered from the rise in sales of Razr models. Google is choosing between LG and HTC. Korean LG is interested in the US market, but it is afraid of cooperation with an unknown partner and uses agreements with Google only to conclude contracts with Microsoft to create smartphones with Windows Mobile. But HTC was ready to work together, and besides, the Taiwanese company could quickly create working samples. The first known prototype was Google Sooner. Here, however, we had to abandon the touch screen; this model was created according to the original specifications, when Google relied on the experience of Blackberry.
Possibly the first Android phone prototype - Google Sooner
Sources report that the first working version dates back to May 15, 2007 and was then called M3. The operating system is very similar to the Blackberry interface, the main position is occupied by search string Google. In general, if it weren’t for the advent of the iPhone and the trend towards touch screens, perhaps we would now see Android like this.
Screenshot of Android M3, possibly the first working version OS Source: 9to5google.com
Android: official start
Google clearly understood that with the release Apple iPhone Having a touch screen is simply a necessity, and therefore early developments had to be postponed. This was facilitated by communication with operators; in the summer of 2007, their opinion about the future of Android was pessimistic. In August 2007, an article appears in the WSJ talking about Google's efforts with its phone and platform. This material mentions that the company has two prototypes - one is similar to the Palm Treo with a QWERTY keyboard under the screen, and the second is somewhat reminiscent of the Nokia version. Within the Android team there is a race against time, since all previous plans are no good and they decided to abandon them. The team changes the timing, and the M3 is released in the second half of 2007. In version M5, it appears at the beginning of 2008, a status bar appears in it, although experiments with the UI are noticeable to the naked eye. Watch the video to understand the differences between these versions.
It wasn't until August 2008 that Google developed version 0.9 to introduce OS version 1.0 in September 2008. On October 22, 2008, the T-Mobile operator in the USA begins sales of the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1), the first Android smartphone to feature touch screen and the OS is fully integrated for its use. But Google was able to rework the OS only to version 1.6, getting rid of the old ideas that were originally laid down when it was created. Perhaps it is from this moment that the rise of Android begins. Interest in the HTC Dream in the United States was enormous; the operator had sold 1 million devices by April 23, 2009. Such a demand for such an ordinary and simple device once again proved that ideas win, in this aspect it was an idea touch phones, which captured the minds of consumers.
Naturally, the very first tests on real users revealed many shortcomings of the platform, and already in the first year of its existence Android Google released the following updates: 1.1. Banana Bread, 1.5 Cupcake (video and photo uploading to YouTube and Picasa, automatic display orientation, predictive input, etc.), and 1.6 Donut (speech-to-text conversion with multilingual pronunciation, WVGA support, optimized work with gestures, etc.) .d.)
Android: second try
Android 2.0
After the improvement of the 1st version, Android has already received expanded functionality and good appearance to version 2.0, and then to 2.1 with the same code name Eclair. It became possible to use several Google accounts, and the standard web browser now supports HTML5. At the same time, new models of Android smartphones went on sale: NTS Magic and Hero, Motorola Droid and Samsung Galaxy.
Then, in 2010, production began mobile processors with a clock frequency of 1 GHz. And the first branded one appears Google smartphone Nexus One with 1 GHz processor. Of course, HTC becomes Google's partner. And HTC Desire, Motorola Droid 2 and Samsung Galaxy S received processors with a similar frequency. By the way, HTC will no longer make Google devices until 2014, when the Nexus 9 comes out. In the same 2010, Google released another version of Android, the new 2.2 Froyo , in which the performance of applications using JIT compilation has increased, and support for Adobe Flash has appeared. Well, all the above-mentioned smartphones with a 1 GHz processor received an update to Froyo. In addition, the assembly received updates such as the Chrome V8 JS engine for the web browser, contact transfer and support for docking stations via BlueTooth, cloud synchronization etc.
Google Nexus One and Android 2.2 Froyo
By the way, in Russia many saw Android for the first time in this edition, since this year in our country the demand for touchscreen smartphones begins, Android is gradually becoming fashionable. Until 2010, the “green robot” was seen only by geeks, and even then, more likely on the Internet or magazines than in their own hands.
Android Gingerbread and Honeycomb
It was the third year of Android's existence on the market. It was already a popular OS, but there were still many problems. And now, update 2.3 Gingerbread appears, which until 2013 was installed on a huge number of devices. Indeed, in this version of the OS, many functions were implemented that outlined the prospects for the development of the platform as such - support for SIP telephony, Near Field Communication and Google Talk, work with screens more high resolution, a new download manager and much more.
Together with Gingerbread, Google releases its second branded smartphone - Nexus S. This time the manufacturer is Samsung, and Nexus S was, in fact, a slightly modified Galaxy S. However, Google Nexus S was released clearly too late: on the day its sales began, the company LG announced the first dual-core Smartphone Optimus 2X. Now manufacturers are measured not by gigahertz, but by multi-core. As a result, not only LG Optimus 2X, but also Samsung Galaxy S II, HTC Sensation and Motorola Droid X2 received dual-core chips.
Meanwhile, Samsung is releasing another device after the Galaxy S smartphone - a tablet. Galaxy Tab. The compact and lightweight seven-inch “tablet” became a good alternative for those who did not like the bulky Apple iPad. But the problem is that Android currently only exists for smartphones. Not a problem, Google thought, and at the beginning of 2011, the first version of Android designed specifically for tablet PCs appeared - 3.0 Honeycomb. It really looked better on Honeycomb tablets than the stretched out Gingerbread smartphone interface. Thus, both smartphones and tablets are already operational based on the Android OS. The business began to expand, and rapidly. Almost all Android tablets are becoming Honeycomb carriers - Motorola Xoom, Acer Iconia Tab, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, etc.
In the same 2011, at the IFA 2011 technology exhibition in Berlin, Samsung presented its first 5-inch Glaxy Note phablet, which became a very popular device, despite the opinions of skeptics. Then it was, in fact, the first device of this class, and even on Android. It took Apple another 3 years before this; in 2014, the company released the iPhone 6 Plus phablet.
Android 4: from Ice Cream Sandwich to KitKat
Google understands that having two separate systems for smartphones and tablets is not very profitable. More time is spent on development and support. And in the fall of 2011, Google releases Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which becomes the first cross-platform version for smartphones and tablets. The build also includes access to applications directly from the lockscreen, and AndroidMarket is renamed to Google Play. According to many experts, it was with version 4.0 that Android began to acquire its usual shape and normal functionality. Now the devices on the “green robot” could also be simply used; they ceased to be gadgets for geeks.
Following the new operating system, Google presented new smartphone- Galaxy Nexus, which was apparently also developed in collaboration with Samsung. And again, after the release of a smartphone, component manufacturers begin to fight for hardware. Qualcomm introduces powerful Krait processors, and Nvidia announces 4-core Tegra 3 chips. Well, the undisputed leader of Android smartphones in 2012 is the Samsung Galaxy S III, which joins the budget bestseller ASUS Nexus 7 based on the new Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS.
In 2012-2013, nothing special happened with Android after global changes with the unification of the tablet and smartphone versions. However, in 2012, Google makes 2 more branded devices - the LG Nexus 4 smartphone and samsung tablet Nexus 10. In parallel with the new products, an updated build of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean was presented, which added previous version. Now users can fully experience the benefits of using GoogleNow, Cloud Messaging, Android Beam, triple buffering, multi-channel USB audio, etc. Then the Google Moto X smartphone and the Google Nexus 7 2nd generation tablet are presented, which were not particularly popular in our country due to the fact that Motorola left Russian market back in 2010.
In 2013, Nexus 5 appeared on the market, again as a result of cooperation with LG. And a new version of Android 4.4 KitKat is coming out for it and other devices. Yes, this is the first time that the version indicator is the name of a commercial product, but let’s not talk about that. The changes affected not only the interface of individual system applications and elements. The promised transparency of the top notification bar has appeared in KitKat, along with a new sophisticated font and support for a full-screen interface from individual applications. With the release of KitKat, access to the service has become easier Google Now. Now its call is unified - you just need to swipe your finger across the screen from left to right. Previously, methods to access Google Now varied depending on the smartphone model (pressing the Home button, shaking, etc.). Additionally, the service is activated by the phrase “OK Google” when the start screen. The developers also paid attention to the Hangouts program. Now it allows you to send not only chat messages, but also SMS/MMS. Finally, we note the pedometer built into KitKat, which works even in background, as well as enhanced printer compatibility via cloud technology Google Print. The latter allows you to send documents for printing without any wires, first changing the paper size and specifying the required number of pages.
Hello friends, I’m starting to develop a section related to smartphones, now it’s fully operational. Now on the site you will find a bunch of interesting articles about Android smartphones. I will try to convey to users in as much detail as possible about new smartphones, that is, there will be a lot of news. Of course, I will focus on creating materials on working with the OS. So to speak, instructions from A to Z. For now, I’ll start with the simplest thing and write an article about what it is and what its advantages and disadvantages are. Now let's get to the point.
What is Android OS
Android is an operating system based on the Linux kernel, which was purchased by Google in 2005. In 2008, the first version of the operating system was released. This OS is designed for smartphones, tablets and many other devices. At the moment, it is built into watches, various navigators, set-top boxes and players.
Now a huge number of smartphones and other devices with this system are being created. It has gained tremendous popularity, so it has almost no competitors, except perhaps iOS.
I think it’s not worth listing the well-known brands of today’s phones, which are growing by leaps and bounds. So, they all use Android. If we talk about a pure system, we can say that it is very fast and productive. Many manufacturers, using this OS as a basis, create their own shell with additional functions, capabilities and design. Some people do this better, and the system flies, but in some devices it’s not so good.
Using the operating system, you have the opportunity to control functions such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, and create points Wi-Fi access, that is, make a modem out of your phone and much more. Fingerprint and iris scanning sensors are built into modern smartphones, which allows for much improved protection - all this can be controlled from using Android. Naturally, Apple with its iOS is trying to keep up.
Advantages and disadvantages
Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages:
- Since it is developed on the open source Linux kernel, it mobile system is also open source, which allows you to create whatever your heart desires for this system.
- The clean OS is highly optimized and is not demanding on devices. It can work on the weakest phone that is currently available, although this is already rare.
- The ability to customize the system for yourself.
- A huge number of add-ons and applications that greatly expand the capabilities of the OS.
- Speed of operation (not in all cases).
- The system is available for the following hardware platforms: ARM, x86, MIPS.
These are the main ones positive characteristics, which I noted for myself. Maybe there is something else. In addition to the advantages, there are also disadvantages:
- OS with open source gives smartphone and tablet manufacturers an advantage to create shells that are not always as optimized and efficient as possible. In addition, the shell update may arrive much later than it is released newest version official system.
- If the system is poorly optimized, then there is a possibility of high energy consumption. And atomicity is now highly valued. But it depends rather on the device manufacturers.
- Because of its popularity, hackers and other bad people write viruses for the OS and look for vulnerabilities. Of course, this OS has certain protection, not like Windows. Therefore, the disadvantage is insignificant.
- There have been cases where several million dollars in total have been stolen from users around the world. This was done by sending SMS without the user’s knowledge.
In addition to the pure system from Google, there are a number of enthusiasts developing their own firmware, which have their own functionality and capabilities. You will see a completely different design; it happens that the firmware of another manufacturer will work better than pure Android.
At the moment, there are companies that create firmware for smartphones and other devices: CyanogenMod, which is now LineageOS, AOKP, MIUI, Paranoid Android, AOSP, Replicant and others.
Enthusiastic developers try to release firmware versions on time, together with the release of a clean OS. But sometimes there is no need to flash the phone, since the manufacturers could take care of it.
Applications and Play Market
Everyone knows that every day in the Google app store - Play Market Hundreds of programs and games are posted. You can find whatever your heart desires, these are various audio and video players, desktop wallpapers, file managers, of which there are probably thousands, a lot of software for communicating with people - social media, messengers and others. You can also download movies, books and music from there. Of course, there is content there, both paid and free.
A little theory. The Android application code is written for the so-called virtual machine Dalvic. Applications are in .apk format, this is the only format. Until recently, applications themselves could be written in Java language, and since 2009, Google has added a special package of capabilities that allows you to create software in C and C++. Also, there are many development environments, such as Embarcadero RAD Studio.
As for the application store itself, it was opened in 2008. The agreement was that the software developers would give 30% of the profits Google. By the standards of 2017, there are about more than 2.8 million applications in the Play Market database.
Of course, sometimes unscrupulous users posted applications with malicious code, because of which a scandal arose around 2011, but the problems were quickly hushed up and the vulnerabilities were closed.
No matter what anyone says, but the direct specific Play Market is App Store– an application store for iPhone, iPad, iPod and other devices. Software they have less than in the Play Market. Developers' income is the same as Google's. you create paid application, for which you will give 30% of the profit.
What's inside Android
And now, almost the penultimate point, in which I want to talk about the internal components of the system. Those who use this system should understand it at least a little. And compare it with Windows.
So, Linux differs from Windows in that the latter has information divided into disks and folders, of course, in Linux as well, but it is all displayed differently. Linux systems have a tree structure.
There are also differences in registers. If you create several folders with the same names, then on Windows there will be no difference, but on Linux it will be completely different folders. This also applies to files. These names will be different in Linux - Papka, papka, PAPKA.
The cache for the system and some application will always be saved in a special section - cache.
Surely everyone has seen the folder in the file manager data. This directory has other folders related to installation files and application directories.
Configuration files and software libraries can be found in the app-lib folder.
For applications to work, they are written in Java for a special Dalvik virtual machine. So you may come across a catalog dalvic-cache. Sometimes it needs to be cleaned, for example, before flashing the phone. This is done using root rights or from, but I will definitely talk about all this in future articles.
You will definitely see the directory in the file manager system. From the name it is clear that they are stored there system settings, changing which can ruin your system.
In the catalog etc you will find files that allow the system to start normally.
These are not all the folders that are in the Android system. It will take several additional articles to sort it all out.
Additional features
Many people know that each modification of the system has a key name, usually some kind of dessert. For example, Cupcake, which means cupcake. One of the popular versions 4.1-4.3 is called Jelly Bean. But version 4.4 is named after the famous KitKat chocolate bar. The next modification 5.0 and 5.1 is called Lollipop - lollipop. The sixth option is Marshmallow and, finally, the latest version at the moment, 7.0-7.1.2, received the Nougat code.
There is just a little time left before the release of version 8, or as it is called Android O. The beta version of the operating system is already installed on some flagships and works stably. The entire OS will be released at the end of 2017. And yes, keyword most likely it will be Oreo. Below you will see a video of the presentation of the eighth version.
Well guys, I finished the article, now you know what Android is, where it is used, its features. In future articles I will tell you almost everything related to this operating system. Well, I wish you good luck!
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