Android
• Android is a mobile operating system (OS) based on the Linux kernel and currently developed by Google. With a user interface based on direct manipulation, Android is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, with specialized user interfaces for televisions (Android TV), cars (Android Auto), and wrist watches (Android Wear). The OS uses touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching, and reverse pinching to manipulate on-screen objects, and a virtual keyboard. Despite being primarily designed for touchscreen input, it has also been used in game consoles, digital cameras, regular PCs, and other electronics. As of 2015, Android has the largest installed base of all general-purpose operating systems.
• As of July 2013, the Google Play store has had over one million Android applications ("apps") published, and over 50 billion applications downloaded. A mobile developer survey conducted in April–May 2013 found that 71% of those developers develop for Android with Android the "priority" target platform in more cases than iOS or other platforms as of 2015. At Google I/O 2014, the company revealed that there were over one billion active monthly Android users, up from 538 million in June 2013.
Android Architecture
Android Features • • • • • • • •
Application Framework Dalvik virtual machine Integrated (web kit) browser 2D and 3D graphics APIs with HW SQLite Video and audio codecs Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and Wi-Fi Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer
Applications
Challenges • • • •
CPU typically runs 500-600 MHz RAM available to an App may only be a few megabytes Disk (flash) access is very slow Lifecycle - apps must pause/quit often, and restore to give the illusion that they are always running • UI design o typical screen may be HVGA (320x480) o may be in portrait or landscape o very high DPI - small text may not be readable o touch resolution is very low (~25 pixel) • Network access may be slow and (very) intermittent
Opportunities • 100s of millions of mobile phone users • Very high growth, esp. in Asia • "Wild wild west" of application development o think 1985 on the desktop (if you were born by then) o no dominant 3rd party developers.... yet o what will the killer app categories be? o what does it mean to have any app + the internet in your pocket? • You can develop for it today!