Seven years. That’s how long Android has been in existence. Or technically, the Open Handset Alliance that gave birth to Android. Although we didn’t get the very first stable Android release, 1.0 Cupcake, until a year later, November 5, 2007 was the date when the ball started rolling. And that ball has been rolling up and up since then, with no stopping it from dominating the mobile space, from smartphones, to tablets, to watches, to TV, and soon, to cars as well, and probably any other device that can house a mini computer inside.
Android was created in response to the growing need for a more open and more inclusive mobile device platform in the market. But let’s also be candid and accept that it was also a response to Apple’s iPhone push that same year. But Android has definitely grown beyond its initial parameters and has taken, and continues to take, the tech world by storm. And that growth isn’t just reflected in the number or kinds of devices you can find Android on these days. It can also be seen in the advancement of the platform’s features and, more visibly, it’s user interface.
The latest incarnation of the operating system, Android 5.0, christened Lollipop, represents seven years of growth and lessons learned. Under the hood, we have an Android that is even more hardened than ever before. If there’s anything that would speak of Android’s growth, it would probably be the move from the ART runtime away from Dalvik, which has been Android’s virtual machine component from the beginning. Appearance wise, Lollipop has also adopted a new look, one that also reflects Google’s own growth in terms of design and aesthetics.
If you want to know more about Android 5.0 and take a brief walk down memory lane, head on over to our Android retrospective.
Of course, seven years is nothing when compared with other operating systems, especially on the desktop, and Android still has a lot of growing to do. It’s expansion into devices it wasn’t originally designed for will definitely be a challenge. And in terms of business, it also needs to remain fresh, exciting, and relevant, even as analysts foresee and prophesy a period of stagnation for the industry. But those are tomorrow’s worries. For now, we can celebrate seven years of the little green robot that has changed our digital lives, hopefully for the better.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDROID!
