2. WHAT IS ANDROID?
Android, the world's most popular mobile platform
Android powers hundreds of millions of mobile devices
in more than 190 countries around the world. It's the
largest installed base of any mobile platform and
growing fast—every day another million users power
up their Android devices for the first time and start
looking for apps, games, and other digital content.
Android gives you a world-class platform for creating
apps and games for Android users everywhere, as well
as an open marketplace for distributing to them
instantly.
3. What is Android?
Android is the name of the mobile operating system
made by American company; Google. It comes installed
on a variety of smart phones and tablets, offering users
access to Google’s own services like Search, YouTube,
Maps, Gmail and more.
This means you can easily look for information on the
web, watch videos, search for directions and write
emails on your phone, just as you would on your
computer. This is handy for checking up on things like
train times and getting directions when out and about,
but there’s more to Android than these simple examples.
4. ANDROID
Android is the world's most popular mobile platform. With
Android you can use all the Google apps you know and love, plus
there are more than 600,000 apps and games available on
Google Play to keep you entertained, alongside millions of songs
and books, and thousands of movies. Android devices are already
smart, and will only get smarter, with new features you won't find
on any other platform, letting you focus on what's important and
putting you in control of your mobile experience.
5. Global partnerships and large installed base
Every day more than 1 million new Android devices are activated
worldwide. Android’s openness has made it a favourite for
consumers and developers alike, driving strong growth in app
consumption. Android users download more than 1.5 billion apps
and games from Google Play each month.
Building on the contributions of the open-source Linux community and
more than 300 hardware, software, and carrier partners, Android
has rapidly become the fastest-growing mobile OS.With it's
partners, Android is continuously pushing the boundaries of
hardware and software forward to bring new capabilities to users
and developers. For developers, Android innovation lets you build
powerful, differentiated applications that use the latest mobile
technologies.
6. Powerful development framework
Easily optimize a single binary for phones, tablets, and other devices. Android gives
you everything you need to build best-in-class app experiences. It gives you a single
application model that lets you deploy your apps broadly to hundreds of millions of
users across a wide range of devices—from phones to tablets and beyond.
Android also gives you tools for creating apps that look great and take advantage
of the hardware capabilities available on each device. It automatically adapts your
UI to look it's best on each device, while giving you as much control as you want over
your UI on different device types. For example, you can create a single app binary
that's optimized for both phone and tablet form factors. You declare your UI in
lightweight sets of XML resources, one set for parts of the UI that are common to all
form factors and other sets for optimizations specific to phones or tablets. At runtime,
Android applies the correct resource sets based on its screen size, density, locale,
and so on. To help you develop efficiently, the Android Developer Tools offer a full
Java IDE with advanced features for developing, debugging, and packaging
Android apps. Using the IDE, you can develop on any available Android device or
create virtual devices that emulate any hardware configuration.
7. Features to Look for When Choosing a
New Android Phone
Design
Because Android phones are made by a variety of manufacturers, you have a variety of
options when selecting a handset. That means that you can choose one that fits your needs. One
of the most important things to consider when looking at a phone's design is whether or not it
includes a full keyboard. Many of today's Android phones are touch-screen-only devices, and
while they may look cool, they're not always as usable as their keyboard-equipped
counterparts. A full QWERTY keyboard can add a bit of bulk to the phone, especially if it's a
keyboard that slides out of sight when you're not using it, but that can be worth the convenience
that comes with having an actual keyboard to type on.
Other features to consider when looking at a phone's design are screen size and resolution.
More and more phones are offering super-sized screens -- 4-inches to 4.3-inches diagonally, or
even bigger -- which are certainly easy on the eyes. But a bigger screen may mean a bigger
phone, and a bigger phone may be hard to slip into a pocket. A bigger phone also can be
uncomfortable to hold next to your ear during lengthy phone calls.
A screen's resolution can be just as important as its size. In general, the higher the resolution, the
crisper and clearer the display will look. Whenever possible, try the phone out in a store
before you buy it. See how the display looks to you. You should also try it out in various lighting
conditions, as different lights -- especially bright sunlight -- can drastically affect the look of
the screen.
9. Android updates
Google is constantly working on new versions of the Android software. These
releases are infrequent; at the moment they normally come out every six
months or so, but Google is looking to slow this down to once a year.
Versions usually come with a numerical code and a codename that’s so far
been named after desserts running in alphabetical order.
Android 1.5 Cupcake
Android 2.1 Eclair
Android 2.2 Froyo
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Android 3.2 Honeycomb - The first OS design specifically for a tablet,
launching on the Motorola Xoom
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich: The first OS to run on smart phones and
tablet, ending the 2.X naming convention.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean: Launched on the Google Nexus 7 tablet by Asus
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean: Arrived on the LG Nexus 4
Google also releases minor updates with bug fixes and improvements.
10. What Is an Android Phone?
An Android phone is a smart phone running on Google's
open-source Android operating system. Many different
manufacturers make Android phones, including HTC,
Motorola, and Samsung. Dozens and dozens of different
Android phones are now available, and all of the major
cellular carriers in the U.S. offer Android phones.
Originally derived from the Linux desktop operating system,
Android is a customizable platform that can look and feel
very different on very different handsets. That means that
an HTC Android phone will look and operate differently
than an Android phone made by Samsung. It also means
that an HTC Android phone from T-Mobile won't be exactly
like an HTC Android phone that runs on Sprint's network.
11. What can an Android phone do?
Android phones are highly customisable and as such can be altered to suit
your tastes and needs. You can check your Face book and Twitter profiles
through a variety of apps making it ideal for social networking. Through the
calendar you can set reminders from your desktop or your phone and on
the latest versions of Android you can send links to and from your computer
and vice versa.
Another neat feature of Android is that it automatically backs up your
contacts for you. When you set up an Android phone you’ll need to create a
Google Account or sign in with an existing one. Every time you save a
number to the address book of your Android phone it will be synced to
your Google Account.
The benefit of this is if you lose your phone all of your numbers will be
saved. The next time you get an Android phone and sign in with your
Google Account, all of your contacts and friends numbers will be displayed
in your new phone’s address book and you can even access or edit them
from a computer.
12. What apps can I get on an Android
phone?
There are hundreds of thousands of apps and games available to
download from the Google Play store (formerly the Android Market). There
are camera apps that allow you to take pictures with artistic effects and
filters on them and music players which allow you to import MP3s from your
phone or create playlists. You can customise the appearance of your
Android handset with a number of wallpapers based on pictures you’ve
taken yourself or downloaded from the web too.
There are also various on-screen widgets to download which allow access
and alteration the settings of your phone without having to dive through
menus as you would on rival devices. You can pretty much create your own
system of shortcuts and menus to better suit how you uniquely use your
phone.
Popular games available for Android phones include Angry Birds, Draw
Something and Temple Run 2 to name but three, but there are thousands of
free and paid apps and games on offer.
13. How can I get apps on an Android
phone?
The majority of apps can be downloaded from the Google Play store (the equivalent of
Apple’s App Store), which includes a mix of free as well as premium apps that you’ll have to
pay for. Some apps have ‘lite’ versions which are free, in the hope you’ll enjoy them and
upgrade to the full premium version. Others - like Angry Birds - are free, but include adverts.
The same account that lets you backup your contacts can also have financial details added to
it, allowing you the ability to purchase content from the Google Play store directly. You can
pay either by debit or credit card and initial setup takes less than five minutes from a
computer.
Although there are some 700,000 apps available to Android users in the Google Play store,
some developers choose to make their apps available to download from their own sites. In
order to download these you'll have to change some settings on your phone before visiting the
site on your Android phone’s web browser. By downloading apps other than from the Google
Play store, you do run the risk of attack in the form of data theft or from a virus so be careful
if you choose that route.
Should you upgrade or change your Android phone; log into your Google account and you’ll
be able to download your previously owned apps again, without being charged.
14. What does an Android phone look
like?
Android phones come in many different shapes, colours and sizes.
Some have super-fast processors, some have powerful cameras and
a few have hardware QWERTY keyboards.
All current Android phones feature a touch screens, the size of which
varies, but in most cases it measures at least 3-inches diagonally,
although some devices use much larger displays; like the Samsung
Galaxy Note 2 for example which features a 5.5-inch screen and
has been described as a 'phablet' - a cross between a phone and
tablet.
Popular Android phones include the Samsung Galaxy S3 (4.8-inch),
LG Nexus 4 (4.7-inch), Sony Xperia S (4.3-inch) and HTC Desire C
(3.5-inch). Some examples of Android phones with hardware
QWERTY keyboards include the HTC Desire Z, HTC ChaCha and
Sony Xperia Mini Pro.
15. So who makes Android phones?
Every handset maker is free to make an Android
phone if they want to. As well as the
aforementioned HTC, Motorola, Samsung, LG and
Sony, Acer, Alcatel, Huawei and ZTE have all made
Android phones too. Apple, Nokia and RIM (who
make BlackBerry smart phones) do not offer
Android handsets however.
16. Advantages Android
1. Android is open - Because it is Linux based open source so it can be
developed by anyone.
2. Multitasking - Android phones can run many applications, it means you
can browse while listened to the song.
3. Easy access to the Android App Market - Android owners are people who
love mobile phones application, with Google's Android App Market you
can download many applications for free.
4. Can install a modified ROM - We sometimes find an unofficial ROM. That
is the version that was not in accordance with the specification release our
cell phones, the last way is modification. Do not worry there are many
custom ROM that you can use on Android phones, and guaranteed not to
harm your device.
17. Disadvantages Android
1. Need internet connection - Android requires an active internet connection.
At least there should be a GPRS internet connection in your area, so that
the device is ready to go online according to our needs.
2. Advertising - Application in the Android phones can indeed be obtained
easily and for free, but the consequences in each of these applications, will
always be ads on display, either the top or bottom of the application.
3. Wasteful Battery - Android more wasteful than any other operating
system, because this operating system is a lot of "process" in the
background that lead to the battery quickly drains.
4. Many applications contain virus - the virus inserted android applications
including Counter Strike Ground Force, Puzzle Sexy Girls, Sexy Girls Photo
Game, etc. Android Application contain virus also present in the Android
Market.
18. Your stuff, always available, no
wires needed
When you sign in to your phone or tablet with Google, you
can access all of your Google stuff (contacts, photos, Gmail
and more) quickly and easily. You can also enjoy all of your
favourite entertainment across your Android devices and
even your computer — no wires, no syncing.
Play everywhere you go
Google Play is the easiest way to enjoy all your favourites
— no wires, no hassle, just pure entertainment. You can now
read, listen and watch anywhere you want — on your
tablet, phone, or in any browser at play.google.com. Forget
about cables and syncing: your favourite music, movies,
books, apps and games are instantly available across all of
your devices and on the web.
19. The World’s Most Popular Platform
Widgets . Put the important stuff right within reach and interact with your
favourite apps directly from your home screen with widgets — see the latest
sport scores, view your favourite photos, check the weather or peek at your
inbox all without having to open different apps or leave the home screen.
Notifications . An easy-to-read notification tray gives you quick access to your
calls, incoming texts, and new emails in a non-intrusive way.
Multi-tasking . With Android, you can quickly and seamlessly switch between
apps and pick up whatever you were doing. Juggling multiple tasks at once on
a mobile device has never been easier.
Voice typing and actions .Control your Android device with your voice. Simply
touch the microphone on the keyboard and start talking to write emails, SMS, or
any other text — more than 30 languages supported. Text appears in real
time, so there’s no waiting.
