Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system , middleware and key applications.

The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing applications on the An droid platform using the Java programming language. Features Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional) SQLite for structured data storage Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP 3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF) GSM Telephony (hardware dependent) Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent) Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent) Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, m emory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It is developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google.[9][10] Google purchased the initial developer of the software, Android Inc., in 2005.[1 1] The unveiling of the Android distribution in 2007 was announced with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 86 hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.[12][13][14][15] Google r eleases the Android code as open-source, under the Apache License.[16] The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is tasked with the ma intenance and further development of Android.[17] Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that e xtend the functionality of the devices. Developers write primarily in a customized version of Java.[18] Apps can be downloaded from third-party sites or through online stores such as Google Play (formerly Android Market), the app store run by Google. As of Februa ry 2012 there were more than 450,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from the Androi d Market as of December 2011 exceeded 10 billion.[19][20] Android was listed as the best-selling smartphone platform worldwide in Q4 2010 by Canalys[21][22] with over 300 million Android devices in use by February 2012.[23] According to Google's Andy Rubin, as of Feb ruary 2012 there are over 850,000 Android devices activated every day.[24]