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 These Are The Droids You're Looking For: An
Android Guide
These Are The Droids
You're Looking For:
An Android Guide
By: Matt Smith
Edited by: Justin Pot
Cover Photo By: Galyna Andrushko
This manual is the intellectual property of MakeUseOf. It must only be published in its
original form. Using parts or republishing altered parts of this guide is prohibited.
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These Are The Droids You're Looking For: An
Android Guide
Table of Contents
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These Are The Droids You're Looking For: An
Android Guide
Introduction
From New Kid to King
Android is among the most influential operating systems crafted this century. Along
with iOS, it has paved the way for mobile devices that offer an unprecedented level
of functionality. Currently Android is the most common mobile operating system —
and there’s no sign that its popularity will wane anytime soon.
If you’re reading this guide, it’s likely because you have an Android device. I
congratulate you on your purchase. This guide will help you become acquainted
with your device and teach you tricks that can make it even better than it already is.
Before we dive in however, let’s take some time to look over Android’s history and
the different versions on the market. Knowing this is important, as Android is
frequently updated with new features and not all devices are sold with the same
version.
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 These Are The Droids You're Looking For: An
Android Guide
A Brief History of Android
Android only came to public attention within the last few years, but the roots of the
operating system go back to 2003 and the founding of Android, Inc. The startup flew
under the radar at the time, and was only given public light when it was suddenly
bought by Google in 2005.
Even after the acquisition of Android, its importance to Google wasn’t clear.
Android, Inc remained secretive during its existence, so many assumed that the
purchase had something to do with web search via mobile phones. That turned out
to be true, but by no means the entire story.
Google released Android 1.0 in 2008 on the HTC Dream, known as the G1 in many
markets (including the United States.) It promised an open platform for mobile
phone software development. Some would argue that this promise has not been
fulfilled, but Google’s stance on open source undeniably differs from that of iOS.
From humble beginnings, Android has become the dominant smartphone operating
system, defeating the entrenched competition from Apple, Blackberry and Nokia in
less than three years.
Dig beneath Android and you’ll find a Linux kernel, and those who hack their phones
occasionally have to deal with command-line prompts. For your average user
however, Android is nothing like Linux — past or present. It’s built to obscure its origins
and present a user interface anyone can enjoy, though the bones of Linux remain
underneath.
Android Versions Explained – And How to Check Yours
Some confusion surrounds the
different versions of Android. There
are many available, and
unfortunately, not all new devices
use the latest version.
First, let me make it clear that this
guide refers to the version of
Android used on smartphones,
particularly Android version 2.x or
newer. Tablets usually run
Honeycomb, which is the version
of Android designed specifically for
tablets. Although there are
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