Android is a unique operating system based upon a modified version of the Linux operating system and other free open source applications, primarily for touch screen mobile phones, meant primarily to be used by the public. It was released in 2021 and the vast majority of mobile phone users have already adopted it. With a large number of manufacturers already offering the OS in their devices, it is perhaps one of the fastest growing open source programs. However, it has also been subject to criticism from some quarters. So, what exactly is Android?
Android is an open source program that enables you to use applications written for the Android platform from any source. The open source community develops applications and mobile applications for a number of platforms. For instance, the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) is available free of charge to mobile device manufacturers who want to develop applications for sale. You can download the SDK and install it on your device. The Android Software Manager located in your device’s main settings also facilitates the installation of the SDK.
The Android SDK provides a variety of tools including support for the Java programming language, graphic interface design tool, image manipulation tools, and other system services necessary for developing user interfaces for your apps. Android also includes a set of libraries and additional components, which you need to download and install. These include the Android Manifest file, system services and various other components including the Android support libraries, the Android modem, and the Android operating system itself. The OS image also installs other pre-installed apps like the Camera and Google Places.
Apart from downloading these components, users need to download the necessary apks, or applications, from the android market. An ark is a compact program containing the user interface of your app. These apps are available for free on the android market. But if you want your application to be feature rich and customized, you may have to pay for its distribution.
Android runs on the operating system called the Kit Kat. The latest version of android version is Kit Kat 4.4, which was released in May 2021. The most up to date version of android, named Jellybean, can be installed on your phone through the USB connection. As this operating system version has been in the market for some time now, so many manufacturers are releasing different versions of android. The most popular among them are the Kit Kat and Honeycomb versions.
Users can purchase a phone that has the Android platform pre-installed, or they can use an existing device that has the operating system. However, users may face difficulty in getting their favorite apps loaded on their new devices. So users need to download these apps through an external service provider. External apps are not as easily available as those provided by the manufacturer or the mobile service provider. So users can easily get the latest apps by opting for an external source.
