Android OS Evolves: From Smartphones to Tablets & Beyond - Essay Sample

Introduction

Technology is growing at a very high rate, and due to this expansion, mobile terminals have developed into functionally classy devices. Such advanced devices include tablets and smartphones. The Android Operating System has gained popularity with millions of novel consumers every year. Many researchers have tried to explain the Android OS, but they have not come up with a full description. The Android Operating system has seen some gradual improvement up to the current mobile version. After Android, Inc. developed it, Google Company came in and bought the policy. Since that period, Android has consistently gained fame and winning a significant market share. Android's unique features are user-friendly interfaces, guaranteed security, easy application access, and installation.

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Moreover, Android faces stiff competition from other operating systems still in the market. This competition makes Google keep its customers up to date with the most recent improvements in the system. The most significant development that Google has made the Android run devices is memory management. Devices that can hold vast amounts of information are available in the market. There is no need of having secondary forms of data storage since the modern Android devices can accommodate the data. This research paper targets to analyze how the Android operating system works, and then contrasting it to Windows, Linux, and the MAC OS operating systems.

Android Operating System Definition and Evolution

Defining the Android Operating System (OS) is a mobile operating system. The Operating System uses the Linux Kernel 2.6 version, modified to support the functioning of the Operating System (OS). Google pioneered the development of Android in collaboration with the Open Handset Alliance. The alliance was formed by over 30 mobile and technology corporations who worked in collaboration to realize the mobile handset environment. The Android platform lets designers to write codes in Java programming language while monitoring the device through the Google-developed Java libraries. One can download Android freely since it is an open-source that consists of middleware, an operating system, and basic apps based on Java and Linux. In 2005, Google managed to purchase the Android designer, then later in 2007, Android got unveiled (McHoes & Flynn, 2018). Under the Apache License, Google was able to release the Android code as an open-source. Android is now taking control of the world's market, with many developers writing applications. Developers use Java to write their scripts then move the applications (apps) from online stores or third party locations. The figure below shows how the Android Operating System has evolved over the years.

Figure 1: Android OS evolution

In 2012, about 450,000 Android apps were available, but the number of downloads by December 2011 was over 10 billion. Over 850,000 Android devices get activated every day, with over 300 million Androids in use. The Android Operating System has a market share of about 48% proving to be one of the most used mobile Operating systems. Over 400,000 applications are available in the Google Play Store (Fan, 2013). The installation of Android apps is growing vastly due to its massive variety of applications. The apps range from entertainment and games to business and financial services.

The Google Play market and android software development are mainly unrestricted and open. This lack of restriction allows users and developers more freedom and flexibility but also brings about severe security challenges.

History of the Android OS

Since it got released, Android has shown consistent improvement with day to day updates. The frequent updates target to add new features and to fix bugs hence providing a more comfortable environment for users and developers. Every new Android version gets established under a code identification centered on a dessert element. Cupcake and Donut marked the first updates. The figure below shows the newly released Android versions.

Figure 2: Different Android OS versions

After the release of Cupcake and the Donut, other versions got released, and they are as follows:

2.0/2.1 Éclair

This version refurbished the user interface and presented HTML5 and the Exchange ActiveSync 2.5 support.

2.2 Froyo

This version brought about speed improvements with the Chrome V8 JavaScript Engine and JIT optimization. The release also supported Adobe Flash and tethering on the Wi-Fi hotspot.

2.3 Gingerbread

This Android version made improvements to the copy/paste features and the soft keyboard. It also advanced the user interface and improved on Close Field Communication.

3.0 Honeycomb

This version is tablet-oriented, supports devices with bigger screens and has a wide range of user interface features. The version also allows for hardware acceleration and multicore processor support for graphics. After the release of the Honeycomb SDK, the Motorola Xoom tablet featured this version. The tablet got to the market in February 2011(Fan, 2013). However, Google has withheld the development source code for the Android version due to questions regarding the openness of the release.

4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

Google developed this version as an Android mobile OS. The release was an improvement of the Honeycomb Android version. The aim was to create a uniform platform for both sand tablets and smartphones and to modernize and simplify the overall Android user interface. To meet its goals, Android unveiled a new visual appearance code by the name "Holo." The system centers about a domestic, minimalistic design, and an original typeface called Roboto.

4.1, 4.2, 4.3 Jelly Bean

This identity relates to three Android mobile releases that got developed by Google. The first of the three got unveiled at Google's I/O developer at a conference in June 2012 (Bao, 2019). The version intended to improve on the performance to give the OS a responsive and smooth feel. Also, it focused on improving the warning system, permitting for "inflatable" notifications with internal modifications and action buttons. Later in October 2012 and July 2013, other releases got unveiled under the name Jelly Bean (Bao, 2019). The second release allowed for more optimizations, tablet multi-user provision, lock screen widgets, screen savers, and swift settings. The third release contained further modifications and updated the underlying Android platform.

4.4 KitKat

Google also developed the version as an Android mobile operating system. The announcement of the release by Google happened on September 3, 2013. Primarily, Google used "Key Lime Pie" ("KLP") as the version's code name. However, the name got changed later because "not many people recognize the flavor of a key lime pie." Also, many bloggers anticipated that Android 5 would be the "Key Lime Pie" release. KitKat made its debut on October 31, 2013, at Google's Nexus 5 (Bao, 2019). The version was expected to run off many devices compared to earlier versions of Android. Kitkat had a minimum RAM of 512MB. The improvements of KitKat were referred to as “Project Svelte” internally at Google.

5.0/5.1.1 Lollipop

Also, Lollipop is a mobile Android version advanced by Google with releases between 5.0 and 5.1.1. The release got uncovered in June 2014 during the I/O Google forum. The release became accessible through OTA, the Official over-the-air apprises on November 12, 2014. This version ran devices that had Android deliveries examined by Google. Lollipop's source code became accessible on November 3, 2014 (Bao, 2019).

6.0 Marshmallow

Marshmallow mainly focuses on refining the overall consumer experience and provides modern features such as a redesigned authorization model, whereby apps do not get granted automatic permission at installation. The version also offers a Doze power scheme to improve battery life and fingerprint recognition. The figure below shows the Marshmallow android version 6.0.

Android Security

Android's massive user base and open nature have made it a profitable and attractive platform for attack. The universal tool kits and exploits on the operating system get utilized across a wide range of devices. This utilization makes it easy for attackers to target the system. Google took security measures while developing the Android kernel to ensure security provision. The Operating system is sandboxed, which provides no malicious processes cross between apps. Although this trial to outdo the problem of infection is unique and admirable to some extent, it does not address the infection issue altogether.

Android has gained a significant market source quickly because it is open-source, which means that manufacturers can freely implement the system. Through this openness, substantial fragmentation is evident between devices, thus making vendors reluctant to rolling-out updates. This failure is apparently out of anxiety to drive demand for impending devices.

Features of Android OS

The figure below shows the Android Logo.

Figure 4: The Android Logo

Connectivity

Android operating system supports the following connectivity technologies; GSM EDGE, WI-FI, NFC, EVDO, UMTS, IDEN, WI MAX, Bluetooth, and CDMA (Dempsey, 2011).

Messaging

The available forms of messaging are MMS and SMS. They also include Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM), threaded text messaging, and GCM, the Android Google Cloud Messaging.

Storage

For data storing, the SQLite, which is a lightweight interactive database, serves the purpose.

Web Browser

The Chrome V8 JavaScript engine and the Web Kit layout engine provide the basis for the web browser. The browser has a 100% score on the Acid3 test on the 4.0 Android version (Dempsey, 2011).

Multi-touch

Android supports multi-touch in devices such as the HTC Hero. However, the identification got deactivated at the kernel level. The Motorola Droid and Nexus one enable native multi-touch.

Bluetooth

This feature supports AVRCP, A2DP, sending files (OPP), Phone book access (PBAP), Contact sending between phones, and voice dialing. Android 3.1+ supports keyboard, joystick (HID), and mouse.

Tethering

Tethering lets a phone to serve as a wired or a wireless Wi-Fi Hotspot. Before android 2.2 came to place, the tethering feature got supported by the manufacture’s customization or third-party applications.

Screen Capture

By pressing the power and volume-down buttons simultaneously, Android can capture a screenshot. Android 4.0 did not allow this feature.

Video Calling

Android does not support native video calling, but some handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S allow video calling via the UMTS network. Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) Google Talk makes it possible for video calling. In Android 2.3, video calling platform gets offered by Skype 2.1, including the front camera. Customers possessing the Google+ Android app can use Hangouts to video call with other Google+ customers (Messier & Mackay, 2016). The figure below shows a snapshot of an Android Phone.

Figure 5: Snapshot of Android Phone

Java Support

Most Android apps get coded in Java. However, the platform does not offer a Java virtual machine; thus, the Java byte code does not get executed. The Java classes get compiled in Dalvik executable and run on Dalvik. Dalvik is a unique virtual machine designed for Android and battery-powered mobile devices with limited CPU and memory.

Android OS Architecture

Android apps are executed in Java, making the difference from the various operating systems. For instance, IOS, or Windows. The applications are then run in Dalvik VM, which is a virtual machine. In essence, the virtual machine represent the primary element since it executes all applica...