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Operating system Android from Google

Android Development History, Android Updates, Android MARKET

Section 1. Characteristics of the Android operating system.

Android is portable (network) operating system for communicators, tablet computers, electronic books, digital players, watches, netbooks and smartbooks based on the Linux kernel.

Android is Comparatively young operating system used on a wide range mobile devices.

Characteristics of the Android operating system

It was originally developed by Android Inc., which was then bought by Google. Subsequently, Google initiated the creation of an Open Handset Alliance Alliance (OHA), which is now engaged in support and further development of the platform. Android allows you to create Java applications controlling the device through the developed Google libraries. Android Native Development Kit creates applications written in SI and other languages.

At 75% of the smartphones sold in the third quarter of 2012, the Android operating system was installed.

oD android management You can meet both communicators (the most common class) and tablet PCs (tablets), netbooks or smartbooks. Also manufacturers do not stop experimenting, embedding OS in various techniques. Android clock or TV prefix no longer surprise.

The operating system was developed by Android Inc., which was then purchased by Google and translated into the OHA - Open Handset Alliance, a union by developing and implementing open mobile standards. In addition to Google, the OHA includes such giants as HTC, Intel, Motorola, Qualcomm, Samsung, LG, T-Mobile and NVIDIA.

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Although the OS and is based on the Linux kernel, it uses not all the possibilities of this operating system. The reason for this is the use of virtual machine Dalvik, in which everything works software. But with the release of Native Development Kit, the developers have the opportunity to create Native-applications on C and other programming languages.


History of updatesAndroid

The first version of the Android was presented in the late September 2008 and only for the T-Mobile G1 communicator (HTC Dream). He also received an update to version 1.1, an announced half a year later.

The rapid development of the operating system began with the version of Cupcake (1.5) and DONUT (1.6). Version 2.0 ECLAIR has become intermediate, exactly the same name also wore version 2.1. It was under the control of the latter that one of the most popular devices were presented - Nexus One and his brother HTC Desire.

Then the release of Android 2.2 Froyo was released, presented to users supporting Web technologies HTML5 and Flash 10.1, which made it possible to get a significant advantage over competitors.

The company presented Android 2.3 Gingerbread with an updated user interface, support for NFC, multiple cameras and high-resolution displays.


But we see the global changes in Android 3.0 Honeycomb, a special version for tablets. It uses completely different user interface, Three-dimensional effects, a convenient browser and many other improvements.

Unfortunately, Android 3.0 Honeycomb will be available only for tablets. On communicators, we can see only ported versions or ...

On the this moment about android version 2.4 It is known only from rumors. But it is possible that it will become adapted for smartphones and communicators an analogue of the tablet version.

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Since the release of the first version in September 2008, several updates of the system occurred. These updates, as a rule, relate to correcting the detected errors and add a new functionality to the system. Each version of the system receives its own code name on the theme of the dessert. Code names are assigned in alphabetical order.


By November 2012 issued 14 versions of the system. The latest version is 4.2 Jelly Bean ("Lollipop with chewing stuffing").

There is a community of enthusiasts developing fully open android-firmware options (such as Cyanogenmod, Miui, Virtuous Quattro, Villainrom, Open Kang Project, Replicant).

Modified Android versions (also called "firmware", or "Custom firmware") are created for:

removal from Android device google services (for example, such as data synchronization) - to ensure the localization of user data only on the Android device - eliminating the ability to transmit identification information (IMEI, phone numbers, GPS coordinates, etc.) on Google servers;

more prompt and frequent (compared to manufacturers of the devices themselves) providing new versions of Android OS. There are often cases when the manufacturer terminates the support of the model, which seemed to them outdated or unprofitable, and users who wish to see new features have to be referred to by the work of enthusiasts, although many systemically obsolete phones have the opportunity to be updated further (Nexus One is a bright example).

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additions of Android firmware with new settings and functions. Such as supporting FLAC Lossless Audio, the ability to store downloaded applications on a microSD card (for Android to version 2.2) and so on.


For flashing Android devices, root access is required (this is called the routhing, English. Rooting), which gives greater control over the system and above the default applications. For root access, unlocking the bootloader is not needed (unlocked bootloader allows you to upload two or more OS on the device). Modified firmware allow users of old phones to use applications available only for newer releases, increase stability, speed and often eliminate manufacturers' bugs.

All Android devices manufacturers initially block root-access (and the possibility of flashing), motivating this to the desire to secure the user from setting the malware and protect the device from damage. However, due to the use of complex hacker techniques in the mass order to bypass this protection, manufacturers were forced to meet and create the opportunity official unlocking phones ( Sony Ericsson. - Unlocking the Boot Loader service, HTC - Unlocking Your Bootloader service). The risk associated with the possible breakdown of the phone during the unlock process is shifted to the user, which in case of unlocking the booter agrees with the conditions indicating the early loss of warranty on the phone. And some manufacturers went even further and did everything so that the advanced user could not only install another firmware, but also to create its own on their own (detailed instructions for replacing firmware, software, documentation on the program platform architecture, the original firmware code, etc. ) and support the development of alternative firmware (Sony Ericsson sponsors Cyanogenmod). In addition, this (Sony Ericsson initiative) eliminates the need to use the untested hacker toolkit for the flashing process (for example, for HTC).

In the conflict of the interests of the two sides (manufacturers of the phones themselves, together with Google and Users), the following motivation is traced:

manufacturers want to install on phones "Advertising" applications that cannot be removed without routine;

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Google wants to collect the most media variable information about the user: not only personal data like email addresses or site visitors, but also information about the user movement (GPS coordinates or, when the GPS receiving is turned off, the location of the machine by the signals of cellular steels) in real time What led to legal proceedings.

manufacturers do not seek to quickly update the operating system and after about six months stop supporting the product, thereby forcing buyers to switch to new phone models.

On September 24, 2009, Google turned to Cyanogenmod developers with a letter requiring removal from an alternative firmware of the parts of the system and applications with closed source code (such as "Market", GPS navigation, "Maps", etc.). As a result, "closed" applications were removed from the Android version of CyanogenMod, and during the installation of the Cyanogenmod, the user has the ability to adjust the program of programs from Google or adjust the alternative options for "closed" programs ( alternative option "Maps", etc.), which resolved the dispute and provided the opportunity to users to be or not to be free from google applications.


The history of the development of Android

july - Google bought Android Inc.

September 5 - was officially announced the creation of the Open Handset Alliance group (OHA), the purpose of which is to develop open standards for mobile devices. Currently, OHA unites 34 companies, including the largest T-Mobile cellular operators, HTC, Intel, Sprint Nextel, Kddi, NTT Docomo, China Mobile, Broadcom, Marvell, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, SiRF, Texas Instruments, LG, Motorola, Samsung Electronics, as well as the global IT industry giant and one of the main ideological inspirations of the Alliance, Google. Simultaneously with the OHA view, an open Android mobile platform was announced, based on the Linux kernel.

November 12 - was presented and suggested for downloading the first version of the package for the developers of the Android "Early Look" SDK.


September 23 - Google together with the mobile operator T-Mobile and Taiwanese HTC manufacturer announced the first device based on the Android 1.0 platform - the T-Mobile G1 smartphone (HTC Dream).

The first full-fledged SDK 1.0 developer package is released, Release 1.

January 12 - Android 2.1 released. In some sources, this version is called "FLAN", but this is part of the release of "ECLAIR".

may - released Android 2.2 (Froyo)

december - Android 2.3 released (Gingerbread)

August 15 - Google reached an agreement with the Board of Directors of Motorola Mobility about buying a telecommunications corporation for $ 12.5 billion.

Especially for the Android platform, a Droid and Roboto font family was created.

The name of each version, starting with 1.5, Android OS is the name of any dessert. The first letters of the names in the order of versions correspond to the letters of the Latin alphabet: 1.5 Cupcake ("Cupcake"), 1.6 DONUT ("Donut"), 2.0 / 2.1 Eclair ("Eclair" or "Glaze"), 2.2 Froyo (reduction from "frozen yogurt" ), 2.3 Gingerbread ("Ginger Gingerbread"), 3.0 Honeycomb ("Honey Honeycombs"), 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (Ice Cream Briquette), 4.1 / 4.2 Jelly Bean ("Lollipop with Chewing Stuffing"), 5.0 Key Lime Pie ( Lime Pie), Lollipop ("Lollipop"), Molasses ("Melassa") and Nougat (Nougat) (future and / or unconfirmed versions are allocated).

The first two were the names of famous robots: 1.0 Astro ("Astro Boy") and 1.1 bender (Futurama), but they were changed for desserts due to copyright.

According to February 2011, Android devices were confidently leading in the list of the most popular UK smartphones, leaving behind the iPhone 4 C iOS. According to experts, this is the first step of Android OS to global leadership in the mobile operating system market.

On the official websites of Android, there are still no minimum requirements for hardware to start the operating system (there are only hardware requirements for the Android development package).

On the official website of Android on the left below, if you bring the cursor to the robot, then he performs different movements, and when pressed, he waves his hand.

In the version of Android 1.6, the developers have added Native Development Kit, which allows you to write your own low-level modules for the C / C ++ system, based on standard Linux libraries. Although, for example, standard Library SI language on the Android platform, known as Bionic, is not just standard and fully compatible with LIBC.

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For access to K. Google Play. And other services from Google must use proprietary applications that the phone manufacturer has the right to install on the phone only after concluding a contract with Google.

Android competitors made a criticism of the platform, accusing it in excessive fragmentation, creating obstacles to developers. Google has denied all the accusations, saying that no similar problems No, but, nevertheless, released a means to overcome the problems of fragmentation.

It is criticized by Google's decision not to post widely access Android 3.0 Honeycomb code available only for Open Handset Alliance participants or individually after signing the agreement. Google motivates this by the unpretentiousness of the platform and the measure of preventing the negligent implementation.

Richard Stallman said that "everything is simple and clear: with the exception of the Linux kernel, Android 3 is a non-free software" and "despite the fact that the Android phones today are not so bad, like Apple smartphones or Windows, you can not say that they Respect your freedom. " According to Google, the closed Android 3.0 code is a temporary measure, but even after the release of the 4th version of the source code 3.0 was not open.

According to Lookout Security Mobile, only in 2011, about a million American dollars were stolen from Android-smartphones users.

On October 21, 2008, the OHA Alliance published the source code of the Android platform. The release includes the entire Android stack: both operating system, and intermediate software (middleware), and the main end applications written in Java. The total volume of the Android source code was 2.1 GB. The "preferred license" on the Android source code is Apache License 2.0. After the release of Android 3.0 Honeycomb President of the Mobile Unit of Google Andy Rubin declared that the opening of the source code new version Systems will be postponed due to the fact that the system was illicitably ready to run on communicators and requires significant optimization. This decision caused critical assessments of analysts: for example, ZDNet Observer Christopher Dawson called Google's move disappointing. But, according to this company promises, Google opened the initial codes of the next version of the system in the fall of 2011 - Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.


Android devices

The first device running Android has become developed by HTC smartphone htc. DREAM (officially released cellular operator T-Mobile called T-Mobile G1), whose presentation took place on September 23, 2008. Soon followed numerous statements by other manufacturers of smartphones about the intention to release devices on android database. FROM android output The third version (Honeycomb) focused on the tablets, more and more manufacturers began to declare about the release of tablets on this platform. Also company Google in collaboration with different giants mobile Industry Releases own devices in the series " Google Nexus." It is these devices that first receive updates to new versions.

In addition to smartphones and tablets operating android system Install on other devices. So, at the end of 2009, the first photo frame operating on Android appeared on sale. In June 2011, the Italian company BLUE SKY announced the release of I'mwatch intelligent watches under the control of Android OS. In August 2012, Nikon introduced the world's first camera, which also works on the Google platform. In the already mentioned series "Google Nexus" there are not only smartphones and tablets, but also a Nexus Q media player working on Android.


In addition, the enthusiasts ported Android to a number of well-known devices, among which, for example, smartphones on the Windows Mobile HTC Touch Dual and HTC TYTN II platform, on which Android was running in emulation mode. It also carried out a full porting to devices such as Internet tablets operating on Maemo - Nokia N810 and Nokia N900 (port called Nitdroid) - both Nokia N9 smartphones operating on the MEEGO platform and HTC HD2 operating on the operating room windows system Mobile on which the Android OS can be run both with microSD cards and internal NAND memory. Wherein installed system It has a complete, no particularly limited functionality. In addition, there is a good experience android settings Some Apple Devices - iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad using special Program Under the name OpenIBoot, which is designed to run on these devices of a variety of OS, including Android. Pre-firmware appear with limited functionality on devices on the BADA operating system. Koolu not only took up Android porting on Neo Freerunner, but also built his business on selling these smartphones with pre-installed mobile platform from Google. The first official and publicly available beta release of the Android port at Neo Freerunner from Koolu took place in December 2008. Android is also ported to the X86 architecture.


Sources

Wikipedia - Free Encyclopedia, Wikipedia

android.com - Android website

proAndroid.net - Android Apps

youhtc.ru - All for NTS phones

Articles and Lifehaki

In 2003, Andy Rubin and his colleagues were founded by Android Inc., which was engaged in the development and release of mobile technology, adapting to their users based on geolocation data.

The story of Android known to us includes many turning points.

Already 2 years after the founding, the company was absorbed by Google, and three years later, Android appeared - the operating system today, which is consistent with the unchangeable popularity.

Platform history

  • The official year of the appearance of this platform is considered 2008. The first version of the operating system received an ironic name of Apple Pie, and it was IOS who became the main Android competitor.
  • Being based on the Linux kernel, the Android system received an open source code. The first smartphone running this operating system was HTC Dream. At that time he possessed impressive technical parameters.
  • Only in the first year of the existence of the Android platform, Google has updated it three times. Following this, versions 2.0 and 2.1 appeared. Parallel to the sale continued to receive new mobile devices from HTC, Samsung and Motorola.
The version of the 2.3 Gingerbread platform, which was released at the end of 2010, has won a great popularity. She received support for the HD permission and an updated interface.

Together with this version, a second brand smartphone from Google appeared, namely Nexus S. Any version of the device gave (and gives) the ability to work comfortably with it: call, view texts, go online.

The first version of Android for tablet computers has 3.0 Honeycomb. She looked great, although he had some flaws.

The end of 2011 marked the fusion of two Android versions, that is, versions for mobile devices and for tablets. The updated system was named 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Among its distinctive features: Support for 2 new processor architectures. This platform also has several awards.

Today's OS history is inextricably linked with the release of the Android Wear version, which was announced in 2014. This system is designed exclusively for portable devices. In addition, versions of AUTO and TV were also presented.

Android today


Today Android is a system not only for tablets and mobile devices. As already mentioned, there are versions for TVs and cars.

In addition, under its control work e-books, gaming consoles, Google glasses, Wristwatch, Players and many other devices.

Experts note that often Android manifests itself better than their main competitors, that is, IOS. Benefits: integration with other services and web-surfing capabilities.

In addition, she has an open source code, which involves wide freedom of action.

The path of a small company and its leader from debts to world success.

In 2004, Andy Rubin appealed to his friend, Steve Perlman, according to an urgent cause. Startup belonging to Rubin - Android - worried not better than the best times, and although Andy did not want to ask for money again, the situation did not leave the choice.

Android, which was engaged in the development of mobile software for phones, exhausted its financial resources, and other investors did not rush to invest.

Perlman agreed to provide the necessary financing in the near future.

Rubin nervously said: "Maybe everything will be better soon." Android office rental payments were already overdue, and the premises owner threatened with eviction.

Perlman went to the bank, took off 10 thousand. Stodollar bills and gave them rubbing. The next day, he translated to the Android account, the amount of which was not disclosed, became the seed financing of this project. In an interview with Business Insider Perlman said:

"I did this because I believed in this idea, and because Andy wanted to help."

Having received money, Rubin returned Android to life. He found additional financing and transported the team to a more spacious office in Palo Alto, California - the famous technological center of the West Coast.

Today, the Android system is set to about 85% of smartphones around the world, while on the iPhone accounts for only 11%. The system is developing towards wristwatches, cars and televisions. It is easy to submit the time when Android will be everywhere - from ovens and thermostats to toothbrushes.

In order to take 85% of the smartphone market, Rubin took to fight with two most significant and income technological companies of their era: Microsoft and Apple. He had to oppose mobile operators already taken strategic position in the communications market. He had to make phone manufacturers believe in their radically new vision.

Ruby was not alone. Investors such as Perlman, and Google helped him. The history of Android, based on a series of interviews that Business Insider spent with representatives of several companies standing at the very beginning, looks like this.

Impossible idea

For 29 years, the Career in the Silicon Valley Andy Rubin gained a reputation as a technical genius, a talented businessman and a dynamic leader.

First of all, Ruby - an entrepreneur who likes to create something new, be it writing software code Or the production of robots.

His engineering gift manifested itself during work in a building 44 on the Google campus. There, Ruby in his free time programmed a huge robot-manipulator to prepare him coffee on a team sent via SMS. The robot was installed on the second floor of the building 44 and, according to the former Google employee, he was large enough to raise cars.

In another project, Ruby launched a large helicopter with remote control on the lawn in front of Google buildings. Samsit Agarwar, the former Mobile Product Manager, tells:

"A giant helicopter for 5 thousand dollars: Ruby is trying to control them, and he takes off and turns up upside down. No, the helicopter did not explode, but simply scattered in the literal sense of the word - right on the lawn at the building 44 "

Long before Rubin got the opportunity to enjoy gigantic robots in Google, he had to prove that he was able to realize his insane ideas. One of the most crazy was the creation of an open operating system for phones in the early 2000s.

At that time, mobile operators controlled everything - from marketing positioning of phones until their cost. Their power was complete - and, of course, the operators wanted to keep such a state of affairs. Of course, they were against that some other company - a large or small - divided income with them, which is why most of the technological sphere representatives considered the idea of \u200b\u200bRubin unrealizable.

In contrast to a variety of closed systems Mobile operators, Android - open source system. This means that anyone can use the original Android code for free on its devices, and also refine and modify it.

Initially, Ruby worked out Android for the camera, but could not interest investors. Therefore, he combined with Chris White, previously designed interface for WEBTV, and Nick Sirs, who was the former head of marketing service in T-Mobile, together with which Rubin worked on the Danger HipTop communicator, which became widely known called T-Mobile Sidekick. Rubin explained that his idea was to create an open source operating system for phones. Rich Mainer, another Android co-founder and the head of the Google Ventures investment team on the east coast, joined in February 2004.

Idea

Andy Rubin

Rubin graduated from Utik College in the north of New York. Before Android, he worked for a long time in the area high technologiesWhen I started my career with a designer engineer in Carl Zeiss Microscopy, which was held at about a year in 1986-1987.

Along with Carl Zeiss, Rubin moved to Switzerland to work in the company engaged in the creation of robots. In 1989, during holidays on the Cayman Islands, Rubin met with Apple Engineer named Bill Crowel.

Ruby with Cosmell was barely familiar, but Rubin had a courtesy: he suggested to stop him when Kurell quarreled with a girl and was evicted from his cottage on the beach.

Kurell, in turn, suggested Rubin the position of a programmer in Apple, which he held from 1989 to 1992. Love Rubin to robots was obvious already during work in Apple - according to The Verge, then he earned the nickname android.

At this time, Ruby loved the jokes very much. Once he earned his trouble, reprogramming the internal system of phones in Apple in this way, as if by the then Director of Apple John Scully called his colleagues and offered them shares.

Ruby and Perlman, now became the Director General aRTEMIS. Networks, which develops alternatives to the traditional mobile communication methods, later left Apple to General Magic, separated from Apple in the early 90s. This company is known for creating manual personal computerwhich many consider the forerunner of modern smartphones.

Rubin worked in General Magic from 1995 to 1997, after which she went to the WebTV, which was later acquired by Microsoft and changed the name on MSN TV. Perlman founded the WebTV and after Rubin moved to Microsoft. After leaving Microsoft in 1999, Ruby founded his own Danger company, startup, which created the T-Mobile Sidekick phone.

At that time, Ruby did not know that he made the first big breakthrough, which later would lead to the fact that his next startup would be purchased by Google.

Google will call

Google co-founder Larry Page talks at lunch during the Clinton Global Initiative program. New York, September 27, 2007

Even when many considered the idea of \u200b\u200bAndroid crazy, Andy Rubin found support in the face of Larry Page.

Google Coordinator, who at that time served as director of products, found out about the Android project and asked his employee to contact Andy Ruby. Perhaps it was the most important call in the life of Rubin.

Google spokesman said Rubin that the company learned about his project and wants to offer his "help." Page before it met with Ruby during the conference in Standford University.

Ruby and Sirs arrived at Google's head office in Mountain View in early January 2005. The meeting was attended by Paige and the second founder of Google, Sergei Brin, as well as George Harik, the Google Ventures consultant and one of the first ten employees of the company.

Page was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Bryn was barefoot, but on his wrist he had plastic watch disney. He sat next to two candies banks and threw them in his mouth with a grievance.

Not spending time in vain, Page praised the work done by Ruby, and called T-Mobile Sidekick one of the best phoneswho ever seen them.

Bryn let go of a few jokes and questioned the ruby \u200b\u200bon the technological side of the Sidekick.

Sergey Brin

The task of the meeting was not to praise Rubin - Brin also wanted to check it out. He persistently asked what could be done otherwise, so that Sidekick was even better, and why Rubin decided to create this phone in this way.

This conversation was not a struggle, but the exercise for joint solving problems.

After the meeting, Ruby and Sirs understood one thing: Google became interested Android. But it was not clear why.

Was Google on their side? Did Google your own software for mobile and tried to study competitors thus?

After a month and a half, when Google invited Rubin to the next meeting, Page's intentions turned out. This time, there were all four Android founders, and they took a prototype with them to demonstrate. The kharik immediately moved to business: Google wanted to buy Android.

The founders were confused. Android required money. Ruby, another one of the founders of Android Chris White and Sirshipographed to the transaction, but Rich Mainer is the fourth Android co-founder, now working on Google Ventures, - wanted to keep a small company.

In the end, Android agreed to Google's offer; The amount of the transaction, according to some sources, amounted to $ 50 million. Six months after the first meeting in January, the Android team moved to Google headquarters, GooglePlex. This happened on July 11, 2005.

"New model"

Android office in the building 44, where the team moved in April 2006 from the building 41, was different from the rest of Google. The entrance to the secluded room was guarded by a robot from the "Galaxy Star Cruiser" series, "and all the workspace was filled with strange devices, mysterious devices and robots. One of the first employees says:

"Android did not really want to become part of a big Google. She tried to keep separately. "

As a rule, in order to improve quality, Google analyzes each piece of code before he becomes part of the product. Android representatives responded to this idea and showed their Google team code only after a couple of years.

Another former employee Google says that at first Android existed inside Google as the "island" with its own culture inside a closed group of people. One of the former colleagues Rubin recalls:

"I did not understand that Ruby creates a startup inside Google. That's what it was in fact. "

Android figurine near the Google Building

The Android team strategy for the mobile market at that time was also alien for other Google employees. If in 2005-2006 you tried to explain to them the idea standing for Android, most likely, the answer would be: "Well, good luck."

Before Android Google focused on installing its applications to other phones - made, for example, Nokia or BlackBerry. Android idea was to create own systembelonging to Google to distribute services in addition to google applications On other platforms. One employee says:

"This can be called the old model. And we were a new model. "

However, in order to start distributing the Android operating system, google companies It was required to design a phone that would work on it. And then find a mobile operator that would take this phone to implement. One of the former colleagues Rubin says:

"If it were only about to go and develop a phone, this is one. This was engaged in Apple. We also had to first create a phone, and then develop infrastructure, find partners and allies. "

This meant to establish a partnership with manufacturers of components and smartphones, as well as with telecom operators. All in order to create a device that then seemed violating all the rules. One employee says:

"Ruby worked very skillfully with manufacturers, it rarely meets. Very often those who know how to speak in the language of engineers, can not be a conversation in the language of directors at the meeting board meetings. But Rubin knew how the other. "

It can be said that Google and Android commands created their first phone, G1, as proof of the idea. They sought to show potential partners to which Android is capable, so that they want to use it on their phones.

None of the operators wished to become a Google partner when starting the first android phone In 2007. Verizon refused to offer, Sprint was not interested, AT & T did not give any answer. Even t-Mobile Company, which later agreed to release G1, originally refused. The source declares: "It was not best time In the history of Android. "

G1, or HTC Dream

Operators wanted to sell content for phones and take all profits to themselves, so they were against cooperation with other companies. They were intermediaries between manufacturers and mobile phone buyers and were not going to take positions.

The Android team knew that the best bet at that time was T-Mobile. After half a year of negotiations with the T-Mobile operator, the operator retreated and said that he did not want to make a deal with Google.

Rubin was one of the few Google employees who knew that the transaction with T-Mobile was broken. The source says:

"He was disappointed, but Andy is not from those who show their disappointment to everyone. Still left those who did not refuse us. Of course, he did not like the current situation, as he knew that this is our best option and that we spent a lot of time on it. "

But in the end, T-Mobile went to the transaction - largely because Nick Sirs, one of the founders of Android, was previously engaged in T-Mobile Marketing and was able to convince the former general director of the company Robert Doton to agree at that time.

Who changed the situation?

Google finally managed to overcome one of the largest barriers: the operator was found, ready to run the first phone on Android on sale. But just at the time when Google completed the finalization of the G1, another event was happening: Apple introduced his smartphone. In the book "How Apple and Google quarreled and, starting the war, started the revolution" Fred Fogelstein writes:

"[Rubin] was so shocked by what Jobs showed that she ordered the shovel to stop to watch the webcave to the end. "Damn it," he said to one of his colleagues sitting with him in the car. "It seems that we will not be able to sell our phone". "

Ruby and the team changed the original plan and eventually created a phone that was very different from original idea. The first version of the G1 did not have a touchscreen, possessed the leaving keyboard, and was aimed primarily on the audience that preferred BlackBerry. Apple first made a large bet on the fact that in the foreseeable future, the main method of interaction with computers will be the touchscreen. One of the employees remembers how to start smartphone Apple. Looking from the inside of Google:

"Everything has changed. We returned to the drawings and once again all rethought: Would we want to produce this product without touchscreen? We had to start from the very beginning and decide to re-".

Steve Jobs presents the first iPhone

Another former Google employee describes the situation otherwise. According to Samita Agarvala, who occupied the position of product manager, the company developed functions for products with touchscreen, for example, image scaling with two fingers, long before the public was introduced by the iPhone. Agarv says:

"Everyone consider this moment to an epochal. The only thing about what I can talk about the direct influence of Apple was the likelihood that users would want to completely go to touch screen. Everyone knew that the future behind him. I think Apple forced Android accelerate movement in this direction. "

"Crusade against iPhone"

Although the Android team had to retreat, her success, strangely, contributed ... iPhone.

the iPhone was released exclusively for the AT & T operator, and the hype that accompanied the device's output was great enough to convince the world in the importance of this event.

As one of the former Android team writes, by 2009, the idea of \u200b\u200bthe success of the iPhone became a problem for the Verizon operator: the company did not have a smartphone at that time, which could compete with the iPhone.

the iPhone forced the manufacturers of mobile phones and telecom operators to stand on Android.

Operators viewed the iPhone as the largest threat of their business model. In the case of the iPhone, the relationship with the buyer was in the sphere of Apple influence - not an AT & T operator. And buyers passed from other operators in AT & T to get the iPhone.

Therefore, with the release of the iPhone, the Android team has become easier to negotiate with operators.

Compared to the iPhone, the Android OS phones now looked more seductive for operators. Ruby and his team presented Android as a platform for developers - not buyers, which gave more confidence to the manufacturers of phones and operators. One of the former employees of the Android division in Google tells:

"Then the main strategy was opposed. Consider what Android gives, as a way to counteract the capabilities of the iPhone to make them lose influence. Let's find such conditions so that the operators are welcome our help in a crusade against the iPhone. "

The control of operators was manifested in the fact that they could modify the phones and add their branded symbolism.

The first big victory Android

Motorola Droid.

Although today BlackBerry is located at the very bottom of the smartphone market, in the early 2000s he was a leading player. The iPhone has acquired a considerable weight immediately after the release in 2007, and Android at that time almost did not exist.

The Verizon operator clearly saw a threat, but did not find that it could be opposed to her. Unlike Motorola.

Motorola was developed by the phone on Android. It was not so thin as the iPhone, rather large and possessed the retractable keyboard. But at the time of the exit in 2009 it was the best non-iPhone on the market.

Verizon invested in the Marketing of the Motorola Droid phone, which received its name from George Lucas films, 100 million dollars. He did not achieve the same success as the iPhone in the monetary equivalent, but was good enough to attract the attention of the whole world to Android.

The Rubin platform has become the main flow and ultimately suppressed the iPhone to the roadside. Jonathan Matus, a former Google employee who was at the head of the Android marketing team from 2007 to 2010, says:

"I remember toasting and congratulations when the team crowded in the conference room, carefully observing the growth of sales on the first day after the release of the device to the market."

"Magic Andy Ruby"

By asking the question of what exactly the highest popularity is caused, which today has Android, you will not get a clear answer. This success has many components, and one of them is that Ruby managed to negotiate with mobile operators in the early 2000s. He realized that they would not want to lose influence, and with the help of other members of the Google and Android team, convinced them that his software would allow it to be avoided. At the same time, the power of the operators was not undivided - for example, the first DROID was the result of merging the efforts of Motorola, Google and Verizon. It became apparent in the final product. The source reports:

"Using an open code was important, as it gave the operators and manufacturers confidence that Google would not capture the power over the Android platform."

Rubin no longer affects what is happening with Android - now for Android, Chrome and most of the other large-scale products Google answers Sundar Pichai. He has been engaged in Android for about two years - in March 2013, Ruby left the Android division to Google to return to his first love: robots. He led the robotics department to Google before in 2014 he left the company for the sake of desire to focus on his own startup incubator, which in the ruby \u200b\u200bprofile on Linkedin named Playground.global.

By nature, Ruby entrepreneur - it perfectly understands how to build a company and provide all obstacles that can meet on this path. Android is the most powerful proof.

Ruby - one of those who forced Google and other representatives of the industry wireless communication Believe that he and Android will be able to make it impossible. One of the colleagues worked closely with ruby, says:

"And in this Magic Andy Rubin. He attracts talents, and each participant contributes. It has a very strong vision and ability to create a one-piece picture. It's all about his ability, in some special level, allowing him to attract talents and make others believe in the path he is going. "

Green barrel with handles, legs, eyes and antennas will know the good half of the earthlings, because a day is activated one and a half million android devices, and by the end of the year a billion ever enabled Android gadgets will be included in the world. It.tut.by recalls the history of Android, Maskota of the most popular mobile OS, which employs almost 80% of smartphones sold this year.

Oddly enough, the green robot came up with the not developers of the OS, the startup of Android Inc., who worked on the system since 2005. The logo appeared in 2007, when the startup acquired a "good" corporation (so Google's fans call the company). Invented his employee Google Irina Blok.


The block itself was surprised by the fact that its simple sketch was selected:

"The process was very simple - we talked to the founder of Android and made a study as a whole on the topic of robots and androids. It was clear that the logo should be associated with the title, and the first step was to create a huge outline board with all types of droids. Next step There was a study of various visual languages \u200b\u200band directions: pixel, realistic, cartoon ... Two other designers were engaged in this, but in the end my sketch was chosen ... Irony was chosen that the simplest symbol was selected. It was my first sketch that I created in five minutes, and after that we spent the weeks above other, more complex sketches. I think that simplicity of this picture just played a key role: it became an international symbol of android. Just as signs at the airport: man, woman, android ... "

The color of the robot was not chosen by chance. According to a block, a salad color (whose hex code # A4C639) reminded her about command line Old computers, nostalgic light green symbols on a black background.


True, some noted The similarity with the character named Android from the game of the 1990th year "Gauntlet: The Third Encounter" (and someone recalled and R2D2, a robot from "Star Wars"). But ships and loud proceedings were not. The same name, the barrel-shaped body and the antenna on the head - it happens that.

The block itself said so about the logo and copy:

"This logo is designed to be an international symbol for Android, and as the platform itself, it must belong to the community. There are no cultural references to any other characters, other characters."



Indeed, Google is not against the logo (for the first time appearing on HTC mobile phones) used and freely changed. The company even released a special Android application, where the green robot can be turned into anyone. Today there are plenty of various toys and souvenirs in which the OS symbol is guessed. The block wanted the Android logo to be no less recognizable than penguin, symbolizing Linux (on the kernel of which Android is based). But the barrel with the antennas today is drawn, it is painted and cut out much more often than cartoon polar birds.


She realized that she created something really successful when she saw a huge statue of Android on the way to work:

"It's great that what you created, begins to live your own life ..."

Now the block is no longer working on Google, and its green brainchild is known much more than she herself. In her portfolio, the Android logo occupies an honorable place. But she does not consider the genius.


When the daughter's designer went to the cinema in 2010 on "Alice in Wonderland", the Android logo flashed before displaying the film on the screen. The six-year-old girl saw the robot, got up and shouted on the whole hall that her mother came up with this little man. According to the block, she almost fed to pop-root from surprise.

Today we will begin a series of articles on the history of the development of Android. The first part will begin with the background, since the system was born and what was the mobile market of the time. In truth, many users were not even interested in this issue, were not interested in the development of what millions of users worldwide are used today. So let's finally understand what real Android is.

I would like to start from the moment the Android was not even planned. In the courtyard stood 2005. Then the smartphones on the basis of Symbian, Windows Mobile and the company's devices were widely popular. Already at that time, the phones were not so stupid, and they could be called smartphones. Now, of course, for us, these times seem very distant and long forgotten, but it is not.

By the way, at the same time there was not even twitter, and YouTube was considered a dubious startup, however, Vista was then listed in the ranks of innovative operating systems, and Apple actively denied the development of the iPhone.

The most popular and innovative devices of that time were considered laptops that today, unfortunately, and maybe fortunately, the victims of the development of other, more convenient means of communication.

A few years ago, before Android appeared, Danger existed, which was founded by the former Apple Engineer Andy Ruby. Andy was born in 1962, rose in New York (Chapakua). He was the son of a psychologist who soon founded his own company. In childhood, Rubin was interested in BBS (a way to communicate computers through switched telephone networks).

Hot Draganik, a former colleague Rubin in Apple: "The classic approach Rubina is as follows: you do something just to do, because it is cool ..."

The main achievement of the company was the development of the Hiptop smartphone. The device had a Landskaip-keyboard, as well as software, with which it was possible to instantly share messages, surf Internet and send email. In partnership with T-Mobile Danger renamed HipTop in Sidekick.

The device has become popular, thanks to a unique business model, which differed significantly from other business models of that time. However, soon Larry Page and Sergey Brin noticed the company, interest was in wider distribution of the search engine from Google. Then, for incomprehensible reasons, Andy Rubin was shifted from the post of Danger head, and soon he created new company. His goal was the development of a fully open platform.

The basis of Android Inc.

Android did not produce and did not produce any products for two years. At this time, Ruby with a small program engineer team tried to create a new generation software for smartphones, and the main parameter was an open source code. In general, Android became more likely a logical continuation of all that he managed to achieve rubbing in Danger.

Investors quickly picked up the company's idea and began to support it, in the same google time I saw in Android what she needed. She needed a company that develops smartphones for victory over Microsoft and BlackBerry. Page and Brin wanted to see more devices with a search engine from Google on the market, because then the services played great importance, and Android as an open source platform was ideal for the Founders of Google. And in July 2005, Google Corporation bought Android Inc. For 50 million dollars.

First prototypes

However, it should be understood that without hardware Soft is useless. Which of you remembers, what smartphone on the basis of Android was the first? Your answer is probably wrong. The very first prototype of the first Android smartphone was SOONER. The device appeared very similar to the devices of BlackBerry, since he had a full-fledged QWERTY keyboard.

The device was equipped with a display with a resolution of 320 x 240, a chamber by 1.3 megapixel, 64 megabytes random access memory, as well as support for GPRS, removable battery and even slot under the SD card.

The reason for the presence of a full keyboard and the failure of the touchscreen display was in the reluctance of consumers to switch to sensory smartphones. Even the iPhone at first rated a few.

Graham Wieler, the service director and HTC products in Europe, believes that cooperation with Google for HTC was quite risky, because Microsoft played a considerable role in the market with its Windows Mobile, and Google was not in the best deal with the last . However, the HTC decided to take the risk, the personal acquaintance of Peter Chow (CEO HTC, who was not so long with his post) and Andy Rubin still from time to Danger. HTC saw the prospect of Android, because when developing the system, it was focused on access to the Internet, Andy wanted to give people a chance to "put" the Internet into their pockets.

"I remember my emotions then. We knew that something was large-scale on the horse. Behind all this was Google. I think we knew that there was a certain potential in this - to give users the experience of using the Internet, to give people a platform and administrator rights, as well as the freedom that we had as a manufacturer to promote innovations. Google's strategy differed significantly from Microsoft strategy: Okay, we give you a platform, and you can make your changes. We want you to - HTC - made their changes, "- Graham.

Influence iphone

It is impossible to deny the effects of the iPhone on the development of Android, in particular, we are talking about the SOONER prototype. Yes, the iPhone was not the first fully sensory smartphone on the market, however, Apple managed to rethink the methods of using smartphones by making a bet on responsiveness and touchscreen. However, then in January 2007, when the iPhone 2G was shown, the leaders of many leading companies of that time unflatterily responded about the new Apple product and even smiled.

Steve Ballmer - Then the head of Microsoft - ridiculed the iPhone for a high price, operator restrictions, as well as for low data transfer rate. The BlackBerry manufacturer - RIM - also neglectful to the iPhone exit.

However, only Google understood the seriousness of what is happening. And while everyone ridiculed the Apple's brainchild, work on a new smartphone was boiling in Google. What happened to Sooner? From him had to refuse.

"As a consumer, I was just amazed. I wanted an iPhone immediately. However, as a Google engineer, I thought we need to start everything first ... We had a smartphone that looked like a phone of the 90s ... and it was the case when everything seemed obvious, "Chris de Salvo.

Andy's reaction was no less interesting:

"Kudron Matrius! I think we should not start deliveries of this phone (SOONER).

Then it was decided to release the Touch HTC Dream to the market (T-Mobile G1). However, we would like to see and SOONER, because the device looks outwardly looks very attractive and to this day. Of course, the iPhone played a crucial role in the development of Android, and this is the case when a healthy competition allows you to exit innovative products before the deadline, even considering the unpretentiousness of consumers to use the product.

HTC Dream has become one of the most innovative smartphones of that time. Externally, the device resembled Sidekick. Technically, he probably will not seem to be so advanced, but for that time it was enough to maintain the system's rapid operation. Dream was equipped with a single-core processor with a clock frequency of 528 MHz, 192 Megabytes of RAM, a 3.2-inch display with a resolution of 320 x 480.

HTC Dream was sold worldwide, unlike the initial version of the G1, which was tied to t-Mobile operator. Google gave the HTC to sell G1 under its own brand. HTC Dream became excellent smartphone On the basis of Android. Why? Because Google decided to risk.

Based on AndroidCentral



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