Developed by Google Android is a smart phone operating system which is based on the Linux kernel and application program interface. which is a typical open source software android was officially unveiled in 2007 by the open handset alliance (OHA). An organization comprising a group of telecommunication companies devoted to advance standards for mobile devices around the world, soon Google launched its application portal for android operating system which was well known as the play store and by 2013 play store had 1 million Apps and 50 billion applications downloaded by the users around the world from Play Store. The story of Android is of course interesting!

Android was founded in pal alto California on October 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears and Chris White. The idea which lead to the development was to have a smarter mobile device more aware of its owner location and preference secondly it was an purpose built software to put down the Symbian and windows mobile operating system and this android inc was operated secretly by Andy Rubin and his little team of engineers and the android inc was funded by Andy Rubin but soon the company ran out of funds so the android inc was acquired by Google for 50 million dollars which lead to the formation of Open Hand Set alliance (OHA).

By December 2006 a prototype code named as the “sooner” was made which was similar to blackberry with no touch screen ran the android operating system which used a physical qwerty keypad.

On November 5, 2007 the open handset alliance launched its first commercial android device the “HTC DREAM” on October 22,2008 since than many updates were released consisting of new features and bug improvements. But before the commercial release android had some alpha and beta versions code named as Astro Boy, R2, D2 and there was an need for an universal identity such as logo which could differentiate the product so the green android robot or the ANDROID LOGO was designed by Irina Blok in the same year. following htc dream, Google launched its “NEXUS” series of devices and smart phones and tablets which runs android operating system such as nexus one by HTC and Google, Nexus 5 by LG, Nexus 7 Tab by ASUS. on 2014 Google launched its “ANDROID ONE” device. By today we have more than a billions of smart phones which run the various versions of android operating system and it plays to be the biggest rival against Windows and iOS.

Since the year 2008 many android versions and updates were given by Google to the android users

• CUPCAKE 1.5 on April 27, 2009

• DONUT 1.6 on September 15 ,2009

• ECLAIR 2.0 on October 26, 2009

• FROYO 2.2 on may 20, 2010

• GINGERBREAD 2.3 on December 6, 2010

• HONEYCOMB 3.0 on February 22, 2011

• ICE-CREAM SANDWICH 4.0 on October 18, 2011

• JELLY BEAN 4.1 on July 9, 2012

• KITKAT 4.4 on October 31, 2013

• LOLLIPOP 5.0 on November 12, 2014

• MARSHMALLOW 6.0 on October 5, 2015