Android
1.0 Astro
Android Astro was launched in 2008,
with features that were mainly oriented for business and work purposes in smart
phone segment.
Android Astro was released with
great apps and support for using the Internet and Internet-based services such
as: full HTML support in the browser, video playback with a YouTube app, and
Google services like GTalk, Gmail, Google Maps and Google Sync.
It is the the first mobile operating
system to pull off the pull-down notification window, and with support of Widgets and apps that can be downloaded and
updated via the Android Market even though the market wasn’t as heavily
populated then as it is now.
Thus, this version was mainly
focused on the smartphones market, with less focus on entertainment features, Android
users have less control over the Camera, and there is no support for video
playback in build in media player. Android 1.1 (Bender) featured mostly bug
fixes and updates, and was the first ever software update for Android.
Android
1.5 (Cupcake)
Cupcake was Android’s second major release, but the first
commercially available version, which featured a good amount of bug fixes, and
plenty of good features. It was introduced together with Android’s first
touchscreen-only phone: the HTC Magic.
Widgets were
introduced; Google started allowing third parties to produce widgets for
Android use. Cupcake also enabled the copy-and-paste feature – which we so take
for granted now – from plain text on a page to internal apps.
Users can easily swap between Still
Camera and Video Camera modes with a single touch and without leaving the
camera app. Video recording was made available in MP4 and 3GP formats and the
auto screen rotate that we see in our devices was added in this version.
Users are also treated to uploading
capabilities for videos and photos to Youtube and Picasa, respectively.
Android
1.6 (Donut)
Android Donut
was launched in Sept 2009 contains several new updates including text-to-speech
technology.
Search can be done by text and
Voice, and this is not restricted to just the Web; you can also search your
bookmark history, Contacts, Music, Dictionary and the Web with this method and
from the same search box.
App screenshots/ previews are now
available in the Android Market. This update also supports WVGA Screen
Resolutions and better performance. The Gallery App was fully integrated with
the Camera App for better and faster viewing of photos from the camera App.
Android
2.0/2.1 (Eclair)
Eclair, Android 2.0 and its update
2.1, was released in Oct 2009, bringing in a new UI and introduced of Live
Wallpapers.
Android users were also treated to
the virtual keyboard for a faster typing experience and if typing takes too long,
then the speech-to-text technology is the best alternative. There’s also
Bluetooth 2.1 support.
Configuration of multiple email accounts
at the same time and the syncing enables synchronization of emails and contacts
easily across mails accounts and the Android device. Calling or texting has
become a lot easier by using a long press over the Contact Name, to Call or
Text them. The Camera app on Android 2.0 has flash support, Scene Modes, white
balance, and digital zoom among others.
It was introduced in this version as
well, along with support for HTML5 and an improved navigational experience with
Google Maps.
Android
2.2 (Froyo)
May 2010, Android 2.2 /Froyo gave though competition in terms of OS speed thanks to the
Java V8 engine and JIT compiler which launched apps faster than ever.
Features like USB Tethering,
Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot are added to this version and users can toggle data
access.
Users can also now run Flash on
their Android device and are treated to picture preview stacks in the 3D photo
shot gallery without selecting to see the full photo first. The remote wipe
features that allow you to wipe out your data in the event of a lost or stolen
phone for better data protection.
Android
2.3 (Gingerbread)
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) released
at end of 2010, around six months later after Froyo. Users are able to quickly toggle
between front and back camera in the modified camera app. Copy paste can now be
done word by word rather than by blocks of text.
This version also has better battery
management features which allows the users to see which app is consuming
battery the most. Its next update v2.3.7
introduced Google Wallet which utilizes near field communication to store
cards, redeem promotions and even make secure payments from your phone.
Android
3 (Honeycomb)
Taking a break from smartphones is
the Android 3.0, Honeycomb update which was designed with tablets in mind.
Everything is on the UI now with no need for physical buttons. The Back and
Home keys get perpetual spots at the bottom of the screen. Widgets become more
prominent as developers get more room to play with due to the larger screen
size.
In the main view, one can see two
bars: at the top the Action bar, which gives access to individual apps and
widgets, at the bottom, the System bar showing notifications and soft
navigation buttons.
The additional space also allows for
a better, redesigned keyboard for more accurate presses and efficient typing.
Browsers carry multple tabs and is available in ‘incognito’ mode, while the
Contacts and Email UI carry two panes now for better organization and access of
data. This version also has better hardware acceleration and 3D graphics
support. Later updates (still under Honeycomb) added connectivity of USB
accessories such as external keyboards or gamepads as well as improved
handwriting prediction for Chinese characters.
Android
4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Android 4.0, first released on Oct
2011 and updated in March 2012, is also known as Ice Cream Sandwich. It had
then high performance and speed, carrying many of the features that Honeycomb
installed in tablets over to smartphones including getting rid of physical
buttons for navigation.
The launcher is now customizable and
users can add both apps and widgets to their homescreens. Default keys docked
at the bottom of the homescreen can also be customized and carry multiple
folders (or apps) which appear stacked together.
Users can now use video chat in
GTalk, This version of andrid also featured Face Lock. The Task Manager now
carries screenshots of recently open or currently in use apps which can be
dismissed (and closed) individually by swipping them off the screen. This Swipe
to wipe feature also works with notifications and browser tabs.Chrome for
Android is introduced in this version.
Usage can be broken down by time
spent on any and all apps, for better battery management and users can also
receive warnings when breaching data limit, or disable data usage once it
surpasses a preset limit. It also has an integrated snapshot capture feature
which is initiated by pressing both the power button and the volume-down button
together. A shutter sound indicates that a shot has been taken. Screenshots
take up a separate folder in the gallery.
Other improvements include better
text predictions, copy-and-paste, voice input, social-network-integrated
profiles, camera features such as panorama view and options to share to social
profile.
Android
4.1 (Jellybean)
June 2012, Jellybean is released. Project
Butter made this latest update, faster, smoother and more responsive.
Animations and transitions are also
visibly enhanced with vsync timing. Received a notification? Expand it with
finger gestures to get the full info without launching the app, or return calls
straight from the notification tray. Alternatively, users can opt for canned
text replies in response to missed calls.
Despite this being a 0.1 update, the
deal-breaker is Google Now. Initiate it by holding down the Home button and
swiping up to get predicted suggestions and updates on Cards, based on your
past searches and latest locations. At least, Google is putting all that
gathered intelligence to good use – you get your own personal assistant, who
knows you inside out and brings updates to your attention even before you ask
for it.
