History of Android Operating System

Success Story of Google’s Android OS Versions with Brief History v1.0 to v4.1

Google’s Android mobile operating system is the fastest growing Mobile OS today and many well-known and big Mobile Manufacturing/Maker companies like Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony, Sony Ericsson, LG etc. are making their Smartphones andTablets with the integration of Android OS Versions which includes Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Android 2.2 Froyo, Android 2.0 Eclair, Android 1.6 Donut, Android 1.5 Cupcake & Android 1.0. So all these Android Version History already defines theSuccess History of Google’s Android OS which makes it popular amongst several Smartphone and Tablet device users worldwide. So today we are sharing theInfographic on Success Story of Google’s Android OS Versions with Brief History v1.0 to v4.1.

Following Android Version History Infographic will better helps you to understand the Revolution & Evolution of Android OS Versions and it will also provide you all the information and details about Android OS Version History from Past to Present and from Present to its Future i.e. Android v5.0 (Key Lime Pie). So let’s check-out theInfographic below.

Success Story of Google’s Android OS Versions with Brief History from Android v1.0 to Android v5.0 (Key Lime Pie)

Since the introduction of Android in 2007, Google’s flagship open-source OS for mobiles, the dynamics of the mobile phone industry have changed completely. A new mobile ecosystem, consisting of Android apps and mobile hardware has evolved at a rapid pace, challenging traditional market leaders like Apple, Nokia and Blackberry. If you ever wondered how this game-changing mobile OS has evolved over the years, then please read on. However, bear in mind that Google has an odd, albeit humorous, way of codenaming its Android OS products after mouthwatering desserts, so if you have a sweet tooth, we suggest that you find something sugary to enjoy while reading this post!

Evolution of the Android OS:

Google entered the mobile industry after acquiring Android Inc. in 2005, setting off rumors that it was planning on entering the mobile space. The rumors turned out to be true, as Google announced in November 2007 that it indeed was working on an open-source mobile OS, named Android, based on a Linux kernel. This new OS was to be used by members of the’ Open Handset Alliance’, a consortium of 65 companies involved in the mobile space who are advocates of open source standards for the mobile industry. Since then, mobile devices running on Android have gained rapid popularity among consumers, with Android OS currently dominating the smartphone market.
Each major release of the Google Android OS is named after a sugary treat, in alphabetical order. Here is a quick flashback of all the different versions, along with the associated sugary delights:

Android 1.0 and 1.1:

The first version was released in September 2008, along with its launch device, ‘HTC Hero’. Both the OS and the HTC device received favorable reviews. The dream of an open-source mobile ecosystem finally became a reality!

Version 1.1 (released in February 2009) just came with a few updates and tweaks, with no major changes. At this stage, Google had not started naming its Android releases after delicacies, so these updates had no names assigned.

Android 1.5 Cupcake:

Released in April 2009, this was the first major Android revision to get an official name by Google, heralding the start of the “dessert series” naming convention. With Cupcake, features like video uploading, text prediction and wireless music streaming became available.

Android 1.6 Donut:

Released in September 2009, Donut came with major updates, the highlight of which was Google Maps. It also fixed OS reboot errors and enhanced the photo and video capabilities.

Android 2.0/2.1 Eclair:

Version 2.0 was released in December 2009, followed by 2.1 in January 2010. These are considered to be a single release by most people, allowing added capabilities for Bluetooth, multi-touch support and live wallpapers, among other features.

Android 2.2 Froyo:

Short for “Frozen Yoghurt”, this version was released in May 2010. It allowed for improved OS speed, supported hi-definition screen resolutions and Adobe Flash 10.1, enabling users to stream videos via their mobile browsers. Added support for Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity also became available.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread:

This version made its debut in December 2010. The key feature that became available with this release was the much hyped ‘Near Field Communications’ (NFC) capability, allowing users to perform tasks such as mobile payments and data exchange through swiping their mobile phones over a tag. It also added support for more than one camera and other sensors.

Android 3.0/3.1/3.2 Honeycomb:

Released first in February 2011 and followed rapidly by the 3.1 and 3.2 revisions during the same year, this incremental release added several new features. This version was optimized for tablets and provided developers with more control over UI. It also allowed users the capability to load media files directly from an SD card.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich:

Released in October 2011, this was a major overhaul to the Android UI, allowing enhanced contact menus, improved keyboard layouts and NFC capabilities. Since Honeycomb was optimized just for tablets, with most phones still running the 2.x Android versions, the Ice Cream Sandwich release strove for a unified platform that was optimized to run on both tablets and phones.

Android 4.1.x Jelly Bean:

The latest major Android update was released in July, 2012. Jelly Bean further polished the Android UI, and also refined the software, enabling Android devices to run faster and also making them even more user-friendly than before. The 4.x updates have allowed developers to create quality apps over Android, cementing its place as the operating system of choice among users.

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