Android (smartphone)

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Android is the name of an Open source Google software project for Smartphones referred to as "An Open Handset Alliance Project". It includes an operating system, middleware, and critical applications. Android was built from the ground-up to enable developers to create compelling mobile applications that take full advantage of all a handset has to offer. It is built to be truly open. For example, an application could call upon any of the phone's core functionality such as making calls, sending text messages, or using the camera, allowing developers to create richer and more cohesive experiences for users. Android is built on the open Linux Kernel. Furthermore, it utilizes a custom virtual machine that has been designed to optimize memory and hardware resources in a mobile environment. Android will be open source; it can be liberally extended to incorporate new cutting edge technologies as they emerge. The platform will continue to evolve as the developer community works together to build innovative mobile applications.

Features

• Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components
• Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices
• Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine
• Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)
• SQLite for structured data storage
• Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
• GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)
• Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent)
• Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)
• Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE

Developing Applications

Applications for Android can be developed using a Java-based Android SDK.

Motivation

The Android co-founders claim that the goal of Android is to provide an open handset platform with which developers can create their own applications. However, Google views the development as an oppurtunity to expand their internet advertising market to mobile internet devices. They hope that creating a platform, free to cell phone companies, will rapidly increase the demand for mobile internet advertising. Google also hopes to cripple the products of competitors, like Microsoft's Windows Mobile.

Other Open Source Mobile Operating Systems

• Nokia Symbian OS
• LiMo
• Windows Mobile
• Linux
• RIM Blackberry
• Palm OS