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Android - Where Did It Come From And Why Is It So Successful (Part 1)

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Android is a phenomenon, but where did it come from and why is it so successful?

In a market otherwise dominated by Apple, Android is currently the only notable resistance to Apple's monoculture, making even Microsoft look like amateurs. Buy any popular tablet that doesn't run on Apple hardware and it's a safe bet that you're going to be buying into the Android ecosystem as well. So, what is Android, where did it come from and how is it so consistently successful, gaining ground on Apple when every other software giant has failed to make a dent in the tablet market?

With the recent trends in the electronic mobile industry, it seems like Android is a force to reckon with

With the recent trends in the electronic mobile industry, it seems like Android is a force to reckon with

For a start, it helps that it's more or less free to use. Android is a Linux-based operating system designed for mobile devices - initially smartphones and netbooks, but latterly it's become the OS of choice for non-Apple tablets, thanks to its similar range of features and functionality. Android is Open Source and the code is released under the Apache License, allowing it to be freely modified and sold by hardware manufacturers.

Initially developed by Android Inc., the project was financially backed by Google, and later wholly acquired by the company. When it was unveiled in November 2007, it became the flagship product of the new Open Handset Alliance, an umbrella organization under which software and technology companies including Google, HTC, Sony, Dell, Intel, Motorola, Texas Instruments, Samsung, LG and more (though, tellingly, not Apple or Microsoft) could collaborate to develop open standards.

For a start, it helps that it's more or less free to use. Android is a Linux-based operating system designed for mobile devices

For a start, it helps that it's more or less free to use. Android is a Linux-based operating system designed for mobile devices

The reception of Android was initially muted. Few were sure if manufacturers would be willing to ditch existing software operating systems in favor of a new one. In late 2008, a year after it was announced, the first Android phones went on sale. Since then, it is estimated that over 900 million Android devices have been sold. It's safe to say that reception picked up,

Indeed, only two years after it was released, it overtook Nokia's Symbian platform to become the most widely used smartphone operating system on the planet. Its versatility has seen it modified to run cameras, televisions and games consoles as well as more conventional tablets. Essentially it allows any manufacturer to easily offer a platform that can compete with even the most tightly engineered proprietary systems, with the added bonus of familiarity and a degree of cross-compatibility Once you remove companies with a stake in offering their own services (i.e. Microsoft and Apple) it's hardly a surprise that Android is doing so well.

Android's success isn't as assured as this short history might suggest, of course. In the tablet market, Android-based tablets took the majority market share only last year, largely thanks to the release of budget devices such as the Nexus 7. Now holding almost 60% of the tablet market, this lead is nonetheless based on the sale of devices from multiple manufacturers, whereas Apple's 40% share of the tablet market is entirely its own. Worse still, Apple's share is rock solid, while gains for other companies - Microsoft's growing tablet market share, for example - seems to eat into Android's user base rather than Apple's loyal customers.

Android-based tablets took the majority market share only last year, largely thanks to the release of budget devices such as the Nexus 7

Android-based tablets took the majority market share only last year, largely thanks to the release of budget devices such as the Nexus 7

The operating system itself isn't also without its problems. Critics point out that it is more vulnerable to malware than iOS, due to its looser software restrictions, while analysts have noted that iOS users spend more money on software, hence the slight preference Apple's hardware is often given by developers. The situation regarding updates is also rather fractious, unlike iOS and Microsoft who offer free updates for their devices immediately. Android updates depend on manufacturers to release them, with some offering updates to the latest version almost immediately, some taking months to release one, and some never updating. During the launch window of a new version, it's often the case that the only way to guarantee you're running the latest software is to buy the device it launched on!

Despite these issues, it's impossible to deny that Android has quickly gone from being a plucky free alternative to one of the leading mobile platforms in just a few years, and that alone makes it worth paying attention to. If it can do all that in five years, who knows where it'll be in another five?

The operating system itself isn't also without its problems.

The operating system itself isn't also without its problems.

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