Android (operating system)

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Android

Android 4.2 "Jelly Bean" on the Nexus 4
Company / developer	Google Open Handset Alliance Android Open Source Project
Programmed in	C, C++, Java[1]
OS family	Unix-like, Linux
Working state	Current
Source model	Open source[2]
Initial release	September 23, 2008[3]
Latest stable release	4.2 "Jelly Bean"  (October 29, 2012; 6 days ago)[4] [±]
Marketing target	Smartphones Tablet computers
Available language(s)	Multi-lingual
Package manager	Google Play, APK
Supported platforms	ARM, MIPS,[5] x86[6]
Kernel type	Monolithic (modified Linux kernel)
Default user interface	Graphical (Multi-touch)
License	Apache License 2.0 Linux kernel patches under GNU GPL v2[7]
Official website	www.android.com

Android is a Linux-based operating system designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, developed by Google in conjunction with the Open Handset Alliance.^[2] Initially developed by Android Inc, whom Google financially backed and later purchased in 2005,^[8] Android was unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 86 hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.^[9]
Google releases the Android code as open source, under the Apache License.^[10] The Android Open Source Project (AOSP), led by Google, is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android.^[11] Additionally, Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of devices, written primarily in a customized version of Java.^[12] They are available for download through Google Play or third-party sites. In October 2012, there were about 700,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from Google Play was 25 billion.^[13]
The first Android-powered phone was sold in October 2008,^[14] and by the end of 2010 Android had become the world's leading smartphone platform, overtaking Symbian which held the record previously.^[15] It had a worldwide smartphone market share of 75% during the third quarter of 2012,^[16] with 500 million devices activated and 1.3 million activations per day.^[17][18]