Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devicessuch as smartphones and tablet computers. It is developed by theOpen Handset Alliance
Google purchased the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., in 2005. The unveiling of the Android distribution in 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 86 hardware, software, and telecommunicationcompanies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. Google releases the Android code as open-source, under the Apache License.The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android
Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of the devices. Developers write primarily in a customized version of Java. Apps can be downloaded from third-party sites or through online stores such asGoogle Play (formerly Android Market), the app store run by Google. As of February 2012 there were more than 450,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from the Android Market as of December 2011 exceeded 10 billion.
Android was listed as the best-selling smartphone platform worldwide in Q4 2010 by Canalys with over 300 million Android devices in use by February 2012.According to Google's Andy Rubin, as of February 2012 there are over 850,000 Android devices activated every day.
