Chapter 1
Introducing All Things Android
IN THIS CHAPTER
Discovering what make a device an Android device
Checking out the different versions of Android software
Comparing Android versus iPhone
In this chapter, you explore the details of the Android mobile operating system and Android-based smartphones. If you are new to Android smartphones, this is the perfect place to start your journey. If you are switching to Android from iPhone, this chapter also outlines some of the differences between the two platforms.
What Are Android Devices?
There is no such thing as the one Android smartphone. Unlike its major market competitor — the iPhone — Android is an open-source mobile operating system that any smartphone manufacturer can use for its devices. Because of this, hundreds of different Android smartphones are available around the world — and they all offer different features.
The term open source means that the source code (all the lines of programming code that make the Android software what it is) is available freely to anyone who wants to use it.
One of the consequences of making ...
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