From Cupcake to Pie, Android has captured lion’s share in tastes and features.

Android is everywhere! 

From its inaugural launch to the nonce, Android has revolutionized visually, practically and conceptually. Though Google’s mobile operating system may start ornery, wholly molly has unfolded the phase of mobile app development. 

Since its first version rolled out in 2008 for consumers, the mobile operating system powers 71.93% of the market share. Besides, with Android 11, introduction rolling out to pixels, it shows no sign of curtailing. 

But, when did the dawn of Android app development take place, and how did it decide its itinerary of progress? 

Let’s uncover all these questions here!

When Did It Kickoff? 

The old chestnut of Android dates back to 2003 when Nick Sears, Chris White, Andy Rubin and Rich Miner co-founded a startup Android Inc. rooted in Palo Alto, California. Their core objective was to create an advanced OS for the camera by revamping them into “smart devices that know the location and preferences”. 

Though, the firm later ran into insufficiency of funds bringing Google into the picture. Google analyzed the product’s potential carrying within and sealed a deal worth $50 million back in 2005. All of the four co-founders switched to Googleplex to continue developing OS further under their new owners. The first rollout of Android Beta Version 1.0 was finally published on 5 November 2007. 

From the first Beta to Android P (Pie), let’s delve into Android’s rise from the launch to procurement by Google to the current market presence.

“Google Bought Android In 2005 And The Rest Is History”

Android Version 1.0 G1 (2008), 1.5 Cupcake (2009), 1.6 (Donut) – THE EARLY DAYS

The first-ever commercial version of Android, coined as Android 1.0, was unveiled on September 23, 2008. Although it was the first version, Android 1.0 launched features like a camera, an internet browser, Gmail synchronization with the Gmail app, YouTube, Calendar and Google Maps.

These apps were readily available to download in the Android market. Following, Android 1.1 was launched on February 9 2009, with updated features and a handful of bug fixes. It was followed by Android 1.5 (Cupcake) on April 27 2009, and Android 1.6 on September 15 2009. These versions were rolled out at a time interval of 3 months and concentrated on fixing bugs.  

Finally, the Android Donut version brought search capabilities for almost everything on your phone, introducing the Android market (Harbinger to the Google Play Store). 

Android 2.0 – 2.1 Eclair 

Microsoft users cherished Eclair’s support for exchange. The OS supported several Google accounts and allowed you to search within text and SMS messages. Also, it added multitouch support and an improved camera with flash and digital zoom. 

The launch’s most revolutionizing element was the addition of voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation and real-time traffic information – new in the mobile world. Keeping navigation aside, Eclair brings in live wallpapers to Android as well as the platform’s first speech-to-text function. Also, it made waves for injecting the once-iOS-exclusive pinch-to-zoom potential into Android. 

Android 2.2 – Froyo

After four months of 2.1 arrivals, Google served up Android 2.2, Froyo 2.2, which revolved around under-the-hood performance advancements. 

Froyo did deliver some crucial front-facing features, though, consisting of the addition of the now-standard dock at the bottom of the home screen and the first epitome of Voice Actions. These allowed the basic functions like getting directions and making notes by tapping an icon and then speaking a command. 

Remarkably, Froyo also brought support for Flash to Android’s web browser. This option was significant because of the widespread use of Flash and Apple’s adamant nature against bracing it on its own mobile devices. Apple would eventually win, and Flash would become far less common. 

But, back when it was ubiquitous, Android developers could access the entire web without any black holes. It was a significant advantage only Android could offer.

Android 2.3 – Gingerbread 

Android 2.3 Gingerbread was launched on December 6, 2010, with a brand new User Interface focused more on convenience and pace. The onscreen console was also upgraded for more instinctive content information and precision. 

Surprisingly, Near Field Communication (NFC) was integrated out of the blues with the updated version. The new download Manager made monitoring of the downloaded documents from the web more effortless than ever. 

Android 3.0 – 3.2 – Honeycomb

2011’s Honeycomb timespan was a different time for Android. Android 3.0 came into the world as a tablet-only release to accompany the Motorola Xoom launch, and through the subsequent 3.1 and 3.2 updates, it remained a tab-exclusive entity. 

Under the assistance of the newly arrived design chief, Honeycomb introduced an exceptionally reimagined UI for Android. It had a space-like “holographic” design that traded the platform’s trademark green for Blue and shed light on making the most of a tablet’s screen space. 

While the concept of a tablet-specific interface didn’t last long, many of Honeycomb’s ideas laid the foundation for the Android we are familiar with today. The software was the first to be used for Android’s main navigational commands. Moreover, it introduced the concept of a card-like UI with its take on the Recent Apps List. 

Android 4.0 – Ice Cream Sandwich 

Launched a decade ago in 2011, the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android brought many new features. It combined many of the options of the tab-only Honeycomb versions with the smartphone-oriented Gingerbread. It also consists of “Favorite Tray” on the home screen, along with the first support for unlocking a phone by using its camera to capture its owner’s face. 

That kind of biometric sign-in support has evolved and improved considerably. 

Other notable changes with ICS include support for all on-screen buttons, swipe gestures to dismiss notifications and browser tabs, and the ability to monitor your data usage over mobile and Wi-Fi. 

Android 4.1 – 4.3 – Jelly Bean

The Jelly Bean epoch of Android started in June 2012 with the release of Android 4.1. At an accelerated pace, Google launched versions 4.2 and 4.3 – both under the Jelly Bean label – in October 2012 and July 2013, respectively. 

Some of the unskippable features app developers like in these software updates are the new notification features that displayed more content or action buttons and complete support for the Android versions of Google’s Chrome web browser. Google also made an appearance as part of the search, while “Project Butter” was introduced to pace animations and improve Android’s touch responsiveness.

Android 4.4 – KitKat

KitKat’s late release in 2013 marked the end of Android’s dark era, as the ebony of Gingerbread and Blues of the Honeycomb finally made their way out of the OS. Lighter backgrounds and more neutral highlights swap their places, with a transparent status bar and white icons giving the OS a more contemporary appearance. 

Android 4.4 version saw the first version of “OK, Google” support – but in KitKat, the hands-free activation prompt worked only when your screen was already on, and you were either at your home screen or within the Google app. 

The release was Google’s first accomplishment into claiming a full panel of the home screen for its services, too – at least, for users of its own Nexus phones and also for the one who chose to download its first-ever standalone launcher. 

Android 5.0 – Lollipop

Google importantly reinvented Android – again – with its Android 5.0 Lollipop launch in the fall of 2014. This reinvention of Android made it a top pick of leading app development companies in Dubai and worldwide. It brought a whole new look that extended across all of Android, its apps and even to other Google products.  

The card-based idea that had been spread throughout Android became a core UI pattern – one that would assist the appearance of everything from notifications, showing up on the lock screen for at-a-glance access, to the recent app list, which took card-based appearance openly. 

With the debut of Lollipop, a slew of new features into Android, consisting of hands-free voice control through the “OK, Google” command, support for several users on phones and a priority mode for better notification management. It revamped so much that it also introduced many troubling bugs, many of which wouldn’t be wholly ironed out until the following year 5.1 launched. 

Android 6.0 – Marshmallow

Unveiled in the fall of 2015, Android 6.0 Marshmallow opted for the sweet treat favoured by campers as its main symbol. Internally, Google used “Macadamia Nut Cookie” for Android 6.0 before the official Marshmallow announcement was made. It included features like a new vertically scrolling app drawer, along with Google Now on Tap, native support for fingerprints biometric unlocking. Even USB Type -C support, the introduction of Google pay and the list goes on. 

The first-ever device shipped with pre-installed Marshmallow was Google’s Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X smartphones, accompanied by Pixel C tabs. 

Android 7.0 – Nougat

Version 7.0 of Google’s mobile operating system unveiled in the fall of 2016. Before Nougat was launched, “Android N” was referred to internally by Google as “New York Cheesecake”. Nougat’s many new features included better multitasking functions for the ever-increasing number of smartphones with more extensive displays, like split-screen mode, along with quick switching between different apps. 

Google made a behemoth number of changes behind the scene too. It switched to a new JIT compiler to speed up apps, supported the Vulkan API for accelerated 3D rendering, and enabled OEMs to brace its now-defunct Daydream VR platform.

Perhaps, the most pivotal among Nougat’s enhancement, however, was the release of the Google Assistant – which came along with the announcement of Google’s first completely self-made phone, the Pixel, about two months after Nougat’s debut. 

The assistant became a crucial element of Android and other Google products and is undeniably the company’s pioneer effort today. 

Android 8.0 – Oreo

With the debut of Android Oreo, an exquisite array of varieties was added to the platform, including a native picture-in-picture mode, a snoozing notification option, and notification channels that offer fine control over how apps can alert you. 

The 2017 launch included some crucial elements that accelerated Google’s objective of aligning Android and Chrome OS with improving the experience of using Android apps on Chromebooks. Also, it was the first Android’s version to feature Project Treble – an ambitious effort to craft a modular base for Android’s code with the hope of making it easier for device-makers to offer regular software updates.  

Android 9.0 – Pie 

Google released the first developer’s preview of the next big Android update, Android 9.0 P, on 7 March 2018. On 6 August 2018, Google officially launched the final version of Android 9.0, giving it the official codename of “PIE”.  

Android 9.0 Pie encompassed several significant new features and advancements. One of them is switching the traditional navigation button favouring one elongated button in the centre, which took place like the new home button. Swiping it up brings Overview, with your recently used apps, a search bar, and five app suggestions on the bottom. The introduction of this feature turns to be a favourite of app developers in Dubai and across, extending your smartphone’s battery life. 

This was accomplished using on-device machine learning, which predicts the apps you will use now, and which apps later on. Pie also offers a feature of automatically putting your phone in Do Not Disturb mode, known as SHUSH. There are also slices, which provides a smaller version of an installed app inside Google Search, providing specific app functions without opening the entire app. 

As usual, the 9.0 update was available first to Google’s Pixel phone, but it was also rolled out on the Essential Phones simultaneously. 

Android 10 

Since the launch of the Android OS, there is another significant Android history milestone. Google released its first official developer’s preview of Android Q, on 13 March 2019. On 22 August 2019, Google announced “Goodbye treats – Android 10 is the official name for Q instead of a dessert”.

More importantly, this included a new logo, and the decision to moat conventional dessert names for the next version. As a result, Android Q was officially named Android 10 and launched on 3 September 2019 for Google’s Pixel devices.  

With several new features and improvements, there are several new APIs. That sheath support for the rush of then-upcoming foldable phones. It also introduced a system-wide dark mode, new gesture-navigation controls, a more efficient sharing menu, an innovative reply feature for messaging apps, and more control over app-based permissions. 

Android 11 (R)

To date, Google recently released its latest big update Android 11 “R” on September 8, 2020. Android 11 brings enhanced privacy, new-chat related features and more innovative media and device controls with everything happening over the air. 

Android app developers gush over the latest launch as it comes with privacy as a priority. Also, the new Conversation notification category where all your chats from various apps are clutched in one place. Moreover, you have the choice to save every notification that appears on your phone in the past 24 hours. 

The exclusive feature allows you to record your phone’s screen, complete with audio, that too, without the need for a third-party app. There is also a new section of Android 11 dedicated to controlling smart home devices. 

Google’s Pixel phones, however, are getting an Android 11 distinctive feature. It uses AI and ML to control which apps will appear on your phone’s dock.

Finally…

Hopefully, this blog will help you look for an ideal app development company familiar with Android living history from version 1.0 to 11 and going all the way to 2021’s Android 12 release. 

In the meantime, Android evolves strength-by-strength – though there are obstacles on the horizon.