Android

Android is a based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software, designed primarily for  mobile devices such as s and s. Android is developed by a consortium of developers known as the  and sponsored by Google. It was announced in November 2007, and first commercially released in September 2008 with the. It has become a major competitor to iOS and iPadOS from Apple Inc. Other major competitors such as and  have since exited the market.

Background
Android is software; its source code is known as Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which is primarily licensed under the. However most Android devices ship with additional pre-installed, most notably  (GMS) which includes core apps such as, the  platform  and associated  development platform. About 70 percent of Android smartphones run Google's ecosystem; competing Android ecosystems and include  (developed by Amazon) or. However the "Android" name and logo are s of Google which impose standards to restrict "uncertified" devices outside their ecosystem to use Android branding.

The source code has been used to develop variants of Android on a range of other electronics, such as s, s, s, PCs and others, each with a specialized user interface. Some well known derivatives include for televisions and  for wearables, both developed by Google. Software packages on Android, which use the format, are generally distributed through proprietary s like, , , , and , or open source platforms like  or.

History
Android has been the best-selling OS worldwide on smartphones since 2011 and on tablets since 2013. As of May 2017, it had over two billion, the largest of any operating system, and as of January 2021, the Google Play Store featured over 3 million apps. The current stable version is, released on September 8, 2020.