Android is a Mobile Phone Operating System (MOS) for smartphones that is based off of the Linux kernel, and it is completely open source. Google is the current owner of Android, and many of the code libraries that control several functions within Android were written by Google developers. The Android operating system is being hailed as a huge step forward in the mobile platform as it is both highly streamlined and very malleable to whatever Android developers wishes to create. Many have said that Android runs smoothly because it doesn't come with all of the extra, and often unnecessary, bells and whistles that bog down its competitors like Windows XP and others.
The Android OS is completely open source. Most of the code that runs Android has been released to the public by Google under the Apache license. When Android was unveiled to the public back on November the 5th of 2007, another organization known as the Open Handset Alliance was founded at the same time. It is clear that with Android, Google intends to allows us to do much more with our smartphones and to not be limited by the constraints of proprietary operating systems. When none of the underlying code running Android is kept secret, developers are able to create whichever applications they want, whether they represent a conflict of interest with the Droid phone's mobile network or not.
Most of the applications that run on the Android OS are written in Java. To access specific device controls, Android application developers write a program in Java using Google's own Java code libraries. Developers usually install the Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin into some kind of Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like Eclipse. Once an Android application is almost ready, it is tested over and over again on the Android Simulator that comes with the software development kit. Most Android developers don't have access to an unlocked Droid phone to test their applications on, so having a simulator is a huge advantage.
When the iPhone was originally released, there were worries that it would lead to a situation in which network providers alone are in control of what we use our smartphones for. Google's Android OS is the answer to this concern, very firmly cementing in the notion that open source can, and does, work. It's leading to all kinds of smartphone application development that will dramatically change what we can do with our smartphones on an everyday basis. The smartphone is being set free from old and encumbering operating systems and Android is behind this refreshing change because there seems to be no dearth in the demand for apps in the market with smartphone app development business picking up and Android app ideas coming in a steady stream! And if Android isn't your thing yet - Check out our other Smartphone apps!
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