A Brief History of Android for Android Development

A Brief History of Android for Android Development

Android is a popular mobile operating system developed by Google and first launched in 2008. The following is a detailed development history of Android:

Development started in 2003

Android was originally founded in 2003 by Powers Karp and Andy Rubin and developed under a company called Android Inc. The company aims to develop customizable and Linux-based operating systems for mobile devices.

Acquired in 2005

In 2005, Google acquired Android Inc., and its founders and employees subsequently joined Google.

Launched Open Handset Alliance in 2007

In November 2007, Google announced the formation of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), an alliance organization to provide a free and open standardized platform for the mobile device ecosystem. The alliance is made up of industries including handset makers, software developers, chip makers and telecom operators.

Released Android 1.0 in 2008

In September 2008, Android 1.0 was officially released, including a series of basic applications, such as making calls , sending text messages, browsers, maps , etc.

Subsequent version

Over time, Android has released many major versions, each introducing new features and updates, including:

• 2009 年：Android 1.5 Cupcake
  • virtual keyboard.
  • The plug-in framework supports third-party input methods.
  • Voice recorder application.
  • Auto-rotate screen support.
• 2009: Android 1.6 Donut
  • Quick Search Box.
  • Supports CDMA networks.
  • New camera and gallery apps.
  • Improved Android Market app store.
• 2010 年：Android 2.0/2.1 Lightning
  • Google Maps navigation application.
  • Improved user interface and operating experience.
  • HTML5 feature support.
  • Improved Android Market app store.
  • Multi-touch and virtual camera functionality.
• 2010 年：Android 2.2 Froyo
  • Enhanced performance, speed and memory management.
  • Improved Flash Player support.
  • Support Wi-Fi hotspot sharing.
  • Added USB and Bluetooth Tethering functionality.
• 2011 年：Android 2.3 Gingerbread
  • Added NFC (Near Field Communication) support.
  • Video and audio format support improved.
  • Pull down the notification bar to add a shortcut switch function.
  • Enhanced keyboard and text entry capabilities.
• 2011: Android 3.0/3.1/3.2 Honeycomb (designed for tablets)
  • A version designed specifically for tablets.
  • Added larger, high-resolution icons and controls.
  • The design is more intuitive and ergonomic to better fit the tablet screen.
  • Android 3.2 version introduces more language support.
• 2011: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
  • New interface design Holo. Provides a new status bar and virtual navigation bar with support for pull-out notification bars, and supports multitasking views.
  • Improved notification system and application management.
  • Introducing the People app and Face Unlock functionality.
  • Enhanced performance and stability.
• 2012: Android 4.1/4.2/4.3 Jelly Bean
  • Project Butter improves user interface fluency.
  • Siri-like Google Now functionality.
  • Photos application enhancements.
  • Bluetooth and security improvements.
• 2013: Android 4.4 KitKat
  • Incubator support.
  • Global typing search function.
  • The native messaging app becomes Hangouts.
  • Added support for separate data storage and access control for individuals and businesses in mobile device management.
  • Added a transparent status bar that allows apps to stretch across the top of the screen. At the same time, the performance of audio, video and rendering engine has been optimized.
• 2014: Android 5.0/5.1 Lollipop
  • Material Design Updated exterior design.
  • Multi-user support.
  • Bundled notifications and lock screen previews.
  • Device protection features that prevent unauthorized users from accessing lost or stolen devices.
  • At the same time, ART virtual machine support is added, which greatly improves the application performance.
• 2015: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • Support runtime permission management, users can authorize or deny certain operation permissions when using the application, such as accessing the camera or contacts.
  • Google Now On Tap feature, can provide you with more personalized and customized search results.
  • Doze mode that improves battery life and reduces mobile data usage.
  • Improved fingerprinting API.
• 2016: Android 7.0/7.1 Nougat
  • Added "split screen mode", which can display two applications side by side, and supports multi-window mode that optimizes the experience of interrupting the application experience due to network connections.
  • Support multitasking split screen.
  • Improved notification system.
  • Vulkan API supports game experience improvement.
• 2017: Android 8.0/8.1 Oreo
  • Introducing Project Treble, which simplifies the Android update process. The biggest update includes limiting unnecessary background tasks, such as «carrot and stick» algorithm to conserve battery; Webview has been removed from the system, the update is distributed in the Google Play Store.
  • Adaptive icons.
  • Enhanced WiFi connection speed and security.
  • Added PiP (Picture-in-Picture) function for easy multitasking.
• 2018: Android 9.0 Pie
  • Quick start application operation. Introduced a feature called "Fit to Screen Notch" (Notch) to support the notch design of the new generation of mobile phone screens. It also supports opening multiple Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other connections at the same time, which is convenient for device connection management.
  • Color rendering is enhanced.
  • Adaptive brightness control.
  • Fully adopt efficient AI and machine learning technology.
• 2019: Android 10
  • Gesture navigation.
  • Dark mode.
  • Important notifications are available for reply.
  • System security support enhancements. Enhanced privacy protection measures, supports some changes in the application's permission to read text messages, uses non-resettable MAC addresses, etc.
• 2020: Android 11
  • Added Bubbles chat bubble function, you can view chat content without interrupting existing tasks. Adjusted notification style and layout, and enhanced application fault monitoring and location.
  • Media and control, machine learning strengthens intelligent operation.
  • Added "little yellow car" support to my device.
  • The privacy reminder has been enhanced in all aspects.
• 2021: Android 12
  • Material You design language.
  • Multi-touch enhancements.
  • Faster, smoother animations.
  • Numerous improvements have been made to privacy protection.

With each release, Google adds various new features and improvements. Today, Android is one of the most popular mobile operating systems in the world and powers many different types of devices, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and more.

The market share of each version of Android

Google publishes its latest "Platform Distribution" report every month. Here are the figures for April 2023:

1. Android 11：21.9%
2. Android 12：16.5%
3. Android 10：15.3%
4. Android 9 Pie: 12.8%
5. Android 8.0/8.1 Oreo: 7%
6. Android 7.0/7.1 Nougat: 4.7%
7. Android 6.0 Marshmallow: 2.8%
8. Android 5.0/5.1 Lollipop: 1.3%
9. Other versions and Android versions below SDK 29: 18.7%

It can be seen that newer Android versions such as Android 11 and Android 12 have a leading market share, but there are still a considerable number of models running Android 10 and previous operating system versions.

compileSdkLevels corresponding to different Android versions

1. Android 1.0-1.1: No concept compileSdkof .
2. Android 1.5 Cupcake: compileSdkLevel 3.
3. Android 1.6 Donut: compileSdkLevel 4.
4. Android 2.0-2.1 Eclair: compileSdkRated 5-7.
5. Android 2.2 Froyo: compileSdkClass 8.
6. Android 2.3 Gingerbread: compileSdkRated 9-10.
7. Android 3.0-3.2 Honeycomb: compileSdkRated 11-13.
8. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich: compileSdkRated 14-15.
9. Android 4.1-4.3 Jelly Bean: compileSdkLevel 16-18.
10. Android 4.4 KitKat: compileSdkClass 19.
11. Android 5.0-5.1 Lollipop: compileSdkLevel 21-22.
12. Android 6.0 Marshmallow: compileSdkLevel 23.
13. Android 7.0-7.1 Nougat: compileSdkRated 24-25.
14. Android 8.0-8.1 Oreo: compileSdkRated 26-27.
15. Android 9 Pie: compileSdkLevel 28.
16. Android 10: compileSdkLevel 29.
17. Android 11: compileSdkLevel 30.
18. Android 12: compileSdkClass 31.

It should be noted that different version compileSdklevels allow developers to use different features and APIs, and may cause application compatibility issues. Therefore, when writing an application, choose an appropriate compileSdkclass to ensure that the application will run correctly on the target device.

Android package (Library) development history

1. Support Library v4-v7: In earlier Android versions, some new features and functions required by modern applications are lacking. Therefore, Google launched Support Library v4-v7 packages to provide these missing features and functions and improve development efficiency. These include common components such as RecyclerView, CardView, and AppCompat.
2. Android X: In 2018, Android fully supported Kotlin and launched the Android Jetpack package. Android X is a core part of the public support library and provides backward compatible API support for use with other components of Jetpack. Specifically, its underlying architecture and its implementation methods have been improved. It uses well-defined, separable modules, well-organized, and clearly defined dependencies to reorganize its software packages, allowing developers to more easily and quickly Write Android applications, while also enhancing the readability and maintainability of the code.
3. Jetpack Components: Jetpack is an integrated toolkit that includes several components that help developers write high-quality Android applications faster and easier. These components include, but are not limited to: Navigation, LiveData, ViewModel, Room, Data Binding, etc.

Unlike Support Library, the significance of Android X and Jetpack components lies not in their "prefix" names (from v7 to Android X), but in the completely different design ideas and API collections they represent. They simplify the Android development process by providing a simpler, standardized, and well-organized solution, while making it easier to determine an application's execution environment through its backward compatibility and collaborative approach.

at last

If you want to become an architect or want to break through the 20-30K salary range, then don't be limited to coding and business, but you must be able to select models, expand, and improve programming thinking. In addition, a good career plan is also very important, and the habit of learning is very important, but the most important thing is to be able to persevere. Any plan that cannot be implemented consistently is empty talk.

If you have no direction, here I would like to share with you a set of "Advanced Notes on the Eight Major Modules of Android" written by the senior architect of Ali, to help you organize the messy, scattered and fragmented knowledge systematically, so that you can systematically and efficiently Master the various knowledge points of Android development.

Compared with the fragmented content we usually read, the knowledge points of this note are more systematic, easier to understand and remember, and are arranged strictly according to the knowledge system.

Full set of video materials:

1. Interview collection

2. Source code analysis collection

3. Collection of open source frameworks

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