Android is a mobile phone operating system developed by the search
provider Google. Used on a wide variety of smart phones, Android is
currently the best selling mobile operating system in the world. Android
is an open source OS, letting anyone develop their own software (such
as applications or games) to be run on Android platforms. The Android OS
is also used in tablet computers, with the latest version being Android
3.0. While the Android OS has been in use since 2008, regular updates
and support for Google keeps Android the leading-edge system it is
today.
Mobile phones running the Android operating system all have a similar
set of features provided by the OS. The Android OS is made to be run on
smart phones, phones which can run a variety of Java based applications
that give the phone added functionality. In addition to basic phone and
text/media messaging service, Android phones have a variety of web based
services and applications. Android phones are connected with the
owner's Google account, allowing access to Gmail and Google Calendar as
well as a variety of other applications. In addition to wireless
internet and Bluetooth connectivity, Android phones allow for wireless
tethering - using the phone as a modem to connect a laptop computer to
the internet. All android phones allow for streaming video, with the
latest models able to connect to the 4G network and video conferencing
using Google Talk. The most well known aspect of the Android platform is
access to the Android Market. Similar to the Apple App Store, the
Android Market allows users to download applications and games for their
phone, many of which are free.
The first Android phone to be released was the G1, developed by HTC and
released in 2008. Running Android 1.0, this phone had many of the
features currently found in Android phones, including synchronization
with the user's Google account and the Android Market for downloading
phone apps. Since then, there have been many updates to the Android
operating system - major updates are given the name of a dessert. The
newest version of Android for mobile phones is Android 2.3.4,
Gingerbread. Designed for use on 4G phones with increased performance
and speed, Gingerbread provides better video playback and support for
front facing cameras for video conferencing.
The Android operating system allows phones to be produced by many
manufacturers. With the current generation of 4G phones, the leading
producers are Motorola and Samsung. Motorola is the creator of the Droid
line of phones - a series that were made popular by their availability
with Verizon service in the United States. The Droid X2, the latest
model in the Droid series, includes a multi-touch interface, 8 GB of
memory along with an 8 GB micro SD card for storage, and an 8 megapixel
camera with built in video recorder. Samsung is the other major producer
of Android phones and have collaborated with Google on the Nexus S. The
Nexus was the first phone to use the new Gingerbread operating system
and included a powerful processor and 512 MB of RAM. The Nexus S has 16
GB of internal storage and can access the 4G network using a Sprint
service plan. Other companies such as HTC produce Android phones as
well, giving the consumer a wide variety of choices when trying to
choose the best Android phone for their needs.
0 comments:
Post a Comment