What is Android? Everything you need to know about Google's OS
Locate devices and connect with loved ones quickly and safely. Powerful and proactive protection built right into your Android device. That means helpful AI, more new features, frequent upgrades, and plenty of ways to personalize your phone to fit your style.
This is why the Android you find on a Samsung phone and the software you see on a OnePlus phone function similarly but look very different. Most manufacturers also “skin” the operating system, which means they create their software that lives on top of Android. They are responsible for adding new features, updating old ones, and ensuring Android follows open-source principles. In other words, you can use AOSP software all you like for free, but you can’t use Google all you want. This brings Google-branded products to Android, including the Google Play Store, Gmail, YouTube, etc.
For example, it is impossible to sideload apps on an out-of-the-box iPhone, and there’s only one app store (the Apple App Store). If you don’t have a device with Google Play Services, you likely have access to a different app store. There are also Everycancounts and controls related to privacy and security. As of today, there have been 19 versions of Android, with 12 major releases. These devices also get a five-year commitment for security updates. Google also promises Android software updates for at least three years after a phone is launched. There will be app stores, apps, and all sorts of familiar features, but not from Google.
Android 13 won’t see that huge of a redesign, but so far, we’ve seen plenty of great added features. Initially, Google named Android after “sweet treats.” Each treat name happened in alphabetical order, starting with the letter “C” in 2009. The most recent stable version of the operating system is Android 12.
The Charm is designed to keep you connected with Muse, and it features a camera, mic, and more. With this promise, devices using Qualcomm chipsets will have a total of three Android version upgrades and of four years of security updates. Since Android 5.0 Lollipop, 64-bit variants of all platforms are supported in addition to the 32-bit variants. The MIPSe architectures were officially supported in some versions of Android, but were dropped in NDK r17. The main hardware platform for Android is currently the 64-bit ARM architecture (i.e. ARMv8-A; previous main platforms were 32-bit ARMv7 and ARMv5), with x86_64 and 32-bit x86d used in emulators. It was announced in October 2021 alongside Beta releases with a stable version launching on March 7, 2022.
On larger-screen devices, such as foldable phones and tablets, these bubbles sit inside a dedicated bubble bar and float on top of other apps when needed. These apps live inside movable bubbles, allowing you to quickly jump in and out of them without fully switching apps. Similar to how Facebook Messenger used chat heads years ago, Android 17 now lets you keep entire apps inside floating windows. One of the headline additions is a new multitasking feature called App Bubbles.
There is also a TV platform, appropriately called Android TV. While it’s true that most devices are smartphones, there are plenty of other devices out there with Android on board. Without the director, you’d just have a ton of unused hardware with a bunch of people running around with no idea what to do. You’ll also need actors, stage crew, ushers, and other workers, which would be analogous to software. To put on a play, you’ll need a stage, lights, microphones, and other pieces of hardware.
Results may vary depending on visual matches. Works on compatible apps and surfaces. Compatible with certain features and accounts. Results for illustrative purposes may vary.