What is Android?

• Android is a mobile operating system that is based on a modified version of Linux. It was originally developed by a start up of the same name, Android, Inc. In 2005, as part of its strategy to enter the mobile space, Google purchased Android and took over its development work (as well as its development team).  

• Google wanted Android to be open and free; hence, most of the Android code was released under the open-source Apache License, which means that anyone who wants to use Android can do so by downloading the full Android source code. 

• Moreover, vendors (typically hardware manufacturers) can add their own proprietary extensions to Android and customize Android to differentiate their products from others.

• The main advantage of adopting Android is that it offers a unified approach to application development.

• Developers need only develop for Android, and their applications should be able to run on numerous different devices, as long as the devices are powered using Android.