Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system , middleware and key applications.

The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing applications on the An droid platform using the Java programming language. Features Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional) SQLite for structured data storage Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP 3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF) GSM Telephony (hardware dependent) Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent) Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent) Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, m emory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It is developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google.[9][10] Google purchased the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., in 2005.[1 1] 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 telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.[12][13][14][15] Google r eleases the Android code as open-source, under the Apache License.[16] The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the ma intenance and further development of Android.[17] Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that e xtend the functionality of the devices. Developers write primarily in a customized version of Java.[18] Apps can be downloaded from third-party sites or through online stores such as Google Play (formerly Android Market), the app store run by Google. As of Februa ry 2012 there were more than 450,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from the Androi d Market as of December 2011 exceeded 10 billion.[19][20] Android was listed as the best-selling smartphone platform worldwide in Q4 2010 by Canalys[21][22] with over 300 million Android devices in use by February 2012.[23] According to Google's Andy Rubin, as of Feb ruary 2012 there are over 850,000 Android devices activated every day.[24]

The latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, or simply Android ICS int roduces a bunch of new features never seen before in its prior iterations. Android 4.0 ICS has a brand new look although it does maintain some resemblance to Android Honeycomb, it would be available for

tablets as well as smartphones. The Galaxy Nexus would be the first smartphone w ith the new version, and it is expected to hit the Indian stores in November. Apart from the features we have mentioned here, Ice Cream Sandwich has a bunch o f new features which deeply integrate into your smartphone and tablet experience. These are the ones we think are really special . One of the first things you will notice while using Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwi ch is the brand new font system, which is much more appealing than previous versions. It is known as Roboto which is specially desig ned for high resolution screens and brings a magazine-like feel to the whole interface. Finally, your Android smartphone will allow you to take screenshots without root ing the smartphone or installing any third-party apps. Just hold down the volume down key and the power button to capture the screen. While this is not as compelling as Siri on iPhone, unlike other versions of Andr oid which support voice commands, Android 4.0 will not take very long to transcribe your words. Just speak it in and it instantly t ransforms it into text. This features is based on NFC (Near Field Communication) and it allows two Andro id smartphones to securely exchange Web pages, contacts, media or even applications. It is based on NDEF Push technology. Unlike Android Honeycomb, Android 4.0 ICS will work on tablets as well as smartp hones, making it simple for developers to create one application and have it work on various form factors. This will surely impro ve the number applications on Android tablets. The new version comes with a brand new Chrome mobile Web browser. It syncs with your desktop or laptop Chrome bookmarks, it can save pages for offline reading, and it can open upto 16 tabs at the same time. Android ICS has some great new camera features, a brand new camera UI, options t o edit your images using multiple effects right after you click them and it captures images at a ridiculously fast speeds, proba bly the fastest amongst smartphones. Video recording modes have also improved along with support for a time lapse mode.