Android andAndroid Phones

Android

is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet computers, developed by Google in conjunction with the Open Handset Alliance.

• was initially developed by Android Inc, whom Google financially backed and later purchased in 2005.

• Google releases the Android code as open-source, under the Apache License.

• The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android.

Android, Inc. was founded in Palo Alto, California, United States in October 2003 by

• Andy Rubin - co-founder of Danger • Rich Miner - co-founder of Wildfire Communications, Inc.• Nick Sears - once VP at T-Mobile• Chris White - headed design and interface development

at WebTV.

• Steve Perlman, a close friend of Rubin, brought him $10,000 in cash in an envelope and refused a stake in the company.

Design

Android consists of:

• a kernel based on the Linux kernel 2.6 and Linux Kernel 3.x (Android 4.0 onwards) with middleware, libraries and APIs written in C.

• application software running on an application framework which includes Java-compatible libraries based on Apache Harmony.

The main hardware platform for Android is the ARM architecture.

There is support for x86 from the Android x86 project, and Google TV uses a special x86 version of Android.

• Designed primarily for smartphones and tablets, the open and customizable nature of the operating system allows it to be used on other electronics, including laptops and netbooks, smartbooks,ebook readers, and smart TVs (Google TV).

The first commercially available phone to run Android was the HTC Dream, released on October 22, 2008.

Android Phones

Android phones come in a variety of forms and flavors. Here are the best smartphones running Google's innovative mobile platform.

HTC One SThe HTC One S is the ultimate multimedia phone, from gaming to music to snapping high quality photos.

Samsung Galaxy NexusThe best Android phone to date, the Galaxy Nexus dazzles with its curved display, sleek design, fast performance, and, of course, the Ice Cream Sandwich update.

HTC Rezound If you can deal with subpar battery life, the HTC Rezound is an excellent phone that won't feel outdated anytime soon.

T-Mobile MyTouch 4G SlideThe MyTouch 4G Slide has one of the best cameras we've ever tested--and the rest of the phone is pretty amazing as well.

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX

The Droid Razr Maxx packs in a dual-core processor, large battery and LTE in a very thin frame.