Androidwas born on November 5 , 2007 . Since then , it ’s grown up to be one of the most dominant operating system in the man . But that did n’t just happen overnight . Like all of us , Android went through some clumsy years and learned some hard deterrent example before becoming the OS it is today .
Here ’s a retrospective showing how we got to where we are .
Android had some alpha and Beta for T - Mobile ’s G1 before this release , but cupcake was its first confectionery - named operating organisation . We grow lots of fun stuff and nonsense in this update , including support for third - political party practical keyboards ( oh yeah , no more hardware key ! ) and the ability to upload videos and photos to YouTube and Picasa . Oh , and it also got widgets !
Cupcake made the T - Mobile ’s G1 something to behold ( at least for 2009 ) , but this was just a humble commencement . Android had long ton of body of work to do .
Android Donut was the OS that start out making others forsake their Palm Pres and commence ask Android more earnestly . This update brought along universal search , text - to - speech superpowers and CDMA compatibility ( hello , Verizon ) .
The update began labour out to all possible French telephone onOctober 1 , 2009 .
For Eclair , the photographic camera got a little TLC with some much requisite flash support , digital zoom , and white balance features to name a few , and how about them experience wallpapers ! Google also put some persuasion into a fresh keyboard that could select tangency names as suggestion . Not the biggest update in Android ’s account , but perhaps one the more scrumptiously bring up .
With Froyo , it was all about hurrying . Gizmodo ’s Matt Buchananhad this to say about the Modern Android update :
The speed cost increase in 2.2 is fantastic , but what makes Froyo a in truth great update is that it tightens thunderbolt all across the entire platform . Android has evolved into a real merchandise , on a totally unlike tier than its first year … .Android 2.2 is the first version of Android that feel completely complete — it perform like it should and it has most of the feature it should . It ’s not quite at the spot my female parent could apply it without a shaky encyclopaedism curved shape , but you may see how it ’s going to get better . It ’s safe to say that with Froyo , Android has become something that most masses really can employ — and love .
The design was still a little clunky compare to the more streamlined and elegant contention , but mere things like adding a bottom dock for quick admission to the dialer and app draftsman start showing how Android was making a slow crawl toward user friendliness .
Where the last few updates had been all about function , Google finally took a here and now to attend at var. in late 2010 . The drug user interface was overhaul with a dour theme that also continued Android ’s speed uptick . But that did n’t mean new features wholly disappeared . Android added supporting for NFC , the topnotch useful download coach , and even simple things like better copy and paste .
unluckily , this was when software skinning was in full jive and stock Android began to drop off into the backcloth . Only a handful of handsets , like the Google Nexus S , the Nexus One , and the T - Mobile G2 , even get word these changes as designed above .
Honeycomb primarily focused on one matter and one affair only — tablet . The iPad released only months in the first place in the declivity of 2010 , and Android needed an group O that could compete in a grown shape component not fit for your air pocket . This included what Google call a “ Holographic ” user interface and a more intuitive keyboard for bigger gadget .
ICS reorient toward the mobile phone with an updated interface and the stark dissolution of computer hardware buttons . This mean we at last got the actions bar and the ever - important late apps button ( how did we ever live without it ? ! ) . The figure was really a merger of Android ’s lozenge OS ( Honeycomb ) and the fluid group O ( Gingerbread , Froyo , et al ) . Apps were more powerful , multitasking was now front and center , and you could start to really see the computing machine - grade king that were being wad inside smartphones . In fact , we were so impressedthat we call it “ Android ’s most important upgrade to day of the month . ”
Themodern Android was coming together .
GOOGLE NOW ! severely , it ’s my favorite feature of Android and was the acquittance where I started looking at my iPhone 3GS with disdain . Jellybean had a super - improved voice assistant when searching and notification finally did n’t suck , offering much more setting from the drop - down menu .
The homescreen also got revamped because now widgets could be resize and place anywhere . Android was more customizable and powerful than ever .
It would be more than a twelvemonth until Android locomote on to its next big sacking ( though Jellybean was continuously upgraded up until the summer of 2013 ) and launched its KitKat update with the Nexus 5 on Halloween in 2013 . Google Now was now good than ever with some prescient abilities that hear to guess what users wanted before they even ask , and Hangouts was upgraded with some much - needed SMS capabilities .
Most significantly , KitKat slimmed down the OS ’s footprint , meaning gimmick with only 512 megabyte of RAM could launch the OS smoothly . This come in handy for Android ’s pushing into cheaper sound markets with itsAndroid One program .
Hello Lollipop andhello modern Android . Lollipop ’s biggest call to renown was its dramatic reimagining of the Android operating system of rules that started all the way back with Ice Cream Sandwich . Icons , animation , and the multitasking card were entirely redo with Google ’s Material Design overture , and the Android lockscreen became much more useful with better notification integration . Google continue opening up Google Now to third - party developers and thankfully sum up “ silent mode ” back in for notifications .
This was the thedesign time to come for Android , and one that Google continues today .
Android Marshmallowis all about maintenance and not so much a makeover . But it does come with some awful gain , including anew path of handling app permissions , anew and ameliorate Google Now , and official fingerprint sensor accompaniment . Google ’s also ameliorate battery life with Doze and bundling in the Android Sensor Hub in its latest Nexus smartphones , meaning you should be capable to live the day without needing to tear out a charging cable .
14 Things you could Do in Android Marshmallow That You Could n’t Do in Lollipop
Nougat (Android 7.0)
Nougat , Android ’s latest release , brings features that Android users have been clamoring ( and already enjoying on some other OS ) for for a while . The big one is multi - windowed support , mean apps can finally be used in rip screen sentiment .
A Gif Guide to Android N : The Beginning of Something Great
Although still for the most part based on Material Design , primitively introduced with Lollipop in 2014 , Android spent time tuning the oxygen with a better designing and more functional notification system . Unfortunately , Google launched a gloomy musical theme with the first beta version of Android Nougat , but pulled the featureciting design restrictions .
But there are aton of little tweak , with my personal deary being a less sorely prospicient boot up process .
So yeah , Android ’s come a long way . It ’s grown out of its awkward phase and is now one of the right and sleekest OSes out there . But there ’s always way to grow .
update from an article originally published on 5/28/15 .
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