
Happy birthday, Android.
Betsy Lyon/CNETIt's been 10 years since Google launched the Android mobile OS and it's come a long way. This is especially compared to its early days when it struggled to convince the world that its friendly green extraterrestrial could make applesauce of the revolutionary iPhone.
In truth, Google's first Android phone, the HTC-made T-Mobile G1, wasn't much to look at when it debuted in 2008. The phone had a trough for a keyboard and its chin bizarrely jut outward. It also didn't help that barely anyone knew the HTC brand, and we weren't sure if this was the start of a single Google phone or an entire operating system. Still, the humble G1 -- with its ugly design and scarce amount of apps -- kicked off an Android avalanche just the same.
Currently, Android and iOS both command the phone market (you can read CNET's history of iOS here). Android, however, is in a class of its own. In 2016, nine out of 10 smartphones ran Android and in 2017 Google announced that more than 2 billion devices ran the OS. It's not only the most popular mobile OS, but it surpassed Windows as the most popular OS, period.
But Android didn't reach these milestones by sitting around. Over the years, it went through significant makeovers. The most prominent was in 2015, when Google overhauled its design language and named it Material. Since that debut in Android 5.0 Lollipop, Material made the entire operating system feel like it fits together from top to bottom.
Android went from a quirky piece of software to a full-fledged operating system and powerful brand. Here's a look at the major breakthroughs for the operating system, from its small beginnings to its current ambitions in mobile domination.
Editors' note: This article was originally published Aug. 4, 2010, and is periodically updated to include new versions of Android.
The evolution of Android
Android version | SDK release* | Notable updates |
---|---|---|
1.0 G1 | February 2008 |
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1.5 Cupcake | April 2009 |
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1.6 Donut | September 2009 |
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2.0 Eclair | October 2009 |
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2.1 Eclair | January 2010 |
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2.2 Froyo | May 2010 |
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2.3 Gingerbread | December 2010 |
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3.0 Honeycomb | February 2011 |
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3.1-3.2.6 Honeycomb | May 2011-February 2012 |
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4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich | October 2011 |
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4.1 Jelly Bean | July 2012 |
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4.2-4.3 Jelly Bean | November 2012-October 2013 |
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4.4 KitKat | October 2013 |
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5.0 Lollipop | October 2014 |
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5.1 Lollipop | March 2015 |
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6.0 Marshmallow | October 2015 |
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7.0 Nougat | August 2016 |
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7.1 Nougat | October 2016 |
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8.0 Oreo | August 2017 |
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8.1 Oreo | December 2017 |
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9.0 Pie | August 2018 |
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Android 9.0 Pie
Google unveiled its latest version of Android, Pie, on March 2018. With the update came several features to curb phone addiction, including Dashboard (which let's you know how much time you're spending on your phone) and Wind Down to limit phone usage before going to sleep. Pie also offered support for gesture navigation and onscreen notches -- two features that inch it closer to 2017's iPhone X from Apple.
Pie isn't a massive shift for Android, but it does help make it more modern. It feels like a refreshed chapter for Google, one where more gadgets run on Android and they all work in harmony.
Android's future
Though Android has improved significantly since its unveiling, there's still room to be better. The major issue is its fragmentation problem, wherein many Android devices don't receive prompt software updates. As a result, users are on older versions of the OS and they can't access new features. With the launch of Project Treble in 2017 though, the company is working on changing that.
Another exciting development is Android phones featuring foldable screens. On Nov. 7, Samsung teased its forthcoming foldable phone and soon after, Google officially announced it is adding support for foldable devices to accommodate screen continuity.
We just announced support for foldables at #AndroidDevSummit, a new form factor coming next year from Android partners.
— Android Developers (@AndroidDev) November 7, 2018
Android apps run seamlessly as the device folds, achieving this form factor's chief feature: screen continuity. pic.twitter.com/NAfOmCOY26
In addition, Huawei confirmed it is developing a foldable phone too and a small startup is already selling its bendable Royole FlexPai in China that you can pre-order it in the US and UK.
Other ways Android can push further is consolidate its messaging apps, incorporate a more intuitive interface and innovate beyond phones. At this rate, however, Google's only just getting started -- so here's looking at the next 10 years.
Discuss: Every Android version from the T-Mobile G1 to Android Pie
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