Android

The rise of Android’s popularity

Android was created in 2005 by developer Andy Rubin. That same year, he sold his idea to Google for $130 million and began working under the company’s wing. The era of devices running the Android operating system began in 2008, when its first official version was released.

The iPhone running iOS arrived on the market before Android smartphones, and by 2007, it had a majority market share. Google managed to reverse the situation somewhat with the release of a Motorola phone pre-installed with the Droid OS. This OS gained serious attention two years later, in 2009, when it officially became iOS’s main competitor. This was largely due to its open source nature. Android was originally built on the Linux kernel. Linus Torvalds, the creator of this popular desktop OS, began working on the kernel back in 1991, writing code in C and assembly. Currently, the Android kernel is also used in Linux applications.

The kernel is directly responsible for interaction with the operating system and memory. It is the OS’s first layer of interaction with the hardware.

List of Android versions

A distinctive feature and concept of Android is the naming of OS update versions. New versions are often named after various confectionery products. This is easy to spot if you follow the chronology. The first version of Android was Apple Pie, released in 2009. Subsequent updates were released relatively regularly, almost annually.

2010 – Android 2.3 Gingerbread

2011 – Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

2012 – Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Android 4.2

2013 – Android 4.3, Android 4.4 KitKat

2014 — Android 5.0 Lollipop

2015 — Android 5.1

2016 – Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Android 7.0 Nougat, Android 7.1

2017 – Android 8.0 Oreo, Android 8.1

2018 — Android 9.0 Pie

2019 — Android 10.0

2020 — Android 11.0

2021 — Android 12.0

2022 – Android 13.0 Tiramisu

The OS has been almost perfected over time, which has allowed Google to begin developing new operating systems, in particular Fuchsia.

Alternatives to Android

Fuchsia 

This is a new operating system from Google. The OS first appeared on GitHub in 2016 without prior announcement. Fuchsia’s emergence is inevitable: the era of microkernel-based systems with a modular architecture is dawning. Updates will allow developers to use the system not only in gadgets but also in home appliances and cars. This will create a unified ecosystem within a single home for a single person, where all technical devices can be controlled from a single device. Huawei is actively implementing a similar scheme through its Harmony operating system.

Harmony OS 

This is Huawei’s next-generation operating system, built on a microkernel with a modular architecture. It is primarily designed for smartphones. Full-scale development of the OS began in 2016, with beta testing taking place in 2020. Huawei was forced to create and refine it, partly as a competitor to Android. Huawei Mobile Services will soon be offered to users with Huawei’s own app store, AppGallery.