Evolution of Andriod

THE History

The Android mobile operating system began with the release of the Android beta in November 2007. The first commercial version, Android 1.0, was released in September 2008. Android is under ongoing development by Google and the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), and has seen a number of updates to its base operating system since its initial release.

Evolution

Since April 2009, Android versions have been developed under a confectionery themed code name and released in alphabetical order: Apple Pie (1.0), Banana Bread (1.2) Cupcake (1.5), Donut (1.6),     Eclair (2.0–2.1), Froyo (2.2–2.2.3), Gingerbread (2.3–2.3.7), Honeycomb (3.0–3.2.6), Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0–4.0.4), Jelly Bean (4.1–4.3), and KitKat (4.4–4.4.2). On 3 September 2013, Google announced that 1 billion activated devices now use the Android OS worldwide. The most recent major Android update was KitKat 4.4, which was released to commercial devices on 22 November 2013, via an OTA update.

Android Apple Pie

Android 1.0, the first commercial version of the software, was released on 23 September 2008. The first commercially available Android device was the HTC Dream.

Android Banana Bread

On 9 February 2009, the Android 1.1 update was released, initially for the HTC Dream only. Android 1.1 was known as "Petit Four" internally, though this name was not used officially.The update resolved bugs, changed the Android API and added a number of features.

Android CupCake

On 27 April 2009, the Android 1.5 update was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.27. This was the first release to officially use a codename based on a dessert item ("Cupcake"), a theme which would be used for all releases henceforth. The update included several new features and UI amendments.

Android Donut

On 15 September 2009, the Android 1.6 SDK – dubbed Donut – was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.29.Included in the update were numerous new features.

Android Eclair

On 26 October 2009, the Android 2.0 SDK – codenamed Eclair – was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.29. Changes included.

Android Froyo

On 20 May 2010, the SDK for Android 2.2 (Froyo, short for frozen yogurt) was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.32.

Android Ginger Bread

On 6 December 2010, the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) SDK was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.35. Changes included.

Android Honeycomb

On 22 February 2011, the Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) SDK – the first tablet-only Android update – was released, based on Linux kernel 2.6.36. The first device featuring this version, the Motorola Xoom tablet, was released on 24 February 2011. Most first- and second-generation Google TV-enabled devices utilize Honeycomb 3.2.

Android Ice Cream Sandwich

The SDK for Android 4.0.1 (Ice Cream Sandwich), based on Linux kernel 3.0.1,was publicly released on 19 October 2011.Google's Gabe Cohen stated that Android 4.0 was "theoretically compatible" with any Android 2.3.x device in production at that time.The source code for Android 4.0 became available on 14 November 2011.Ice Cream Sandwich was the last version to officially support Adobe Systems' Flash player.

Android Jelly Bean

Google announced Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) at the Google I/O conference on 27 June 2012. Based on Linux kernel 3.0.31, Jelly Bean was an incremental update with the primary aim of improving the functionality and performance of the user interface. The performance improvement involved "Project Butter", which uses touch anticipation, triple buffering, extended vsync timing and a fixed frame rate of 60 fps to create a fluid and "buttery-smooth" UI. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was released to the Android Open Source Project on 9 July 2012, and the Nexus 7 tablet, the first device to run Jelly Bean, was released on 13 July 2012.

Google was expected to announce Jelly Bean 4.2 at an event in New York City on 29 October 2012, but the event was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. Instead of rescheduling the live event, Google announced the new version with a press release, under the slogan "A new flavor of Jelly Bean". Jelly Bean 4.2 was based on Linux kernel 3.4.0, and debuted on Google's Nexus 4 and Nexus 10, which were released on 13 November 2012.

Google released Jelly Bean 4.3 under the slogan "An even sweeter Jelly Bean" on 24 July 2013 during an event in San Francisco called "Breakfast with Sundar Pichai". Most Nexus devices received the update within a week, although the 2nd generation Nexus 7 tablet was the first device to officially ship with it. A minor bugfixing update was released on 22 August 2013.

Android Kit Kat

Google announced Android 4.4 KitKat on 3 September 2013. The release had long been expected by technology bloggers to be numbered 5.0 and called "Key Lime Pie". KitKat debuted on Google'sNexus 5 on 31 October 2013, and has been optimised to run on a greater range of devices than earlier Android versions, having 512 MB of RAM as a recommended minimum; those improvements were known as "Project Svelte" internally at Google. The required minimum amount of RAM available to Android is 340 MB, and all devices with less than 512 MB of RAM must report themselves as "low RAM" devices