Professional Android™ 2 Application Development

INTRODUCTION

Now is an exciting time for mobile developers. Mobile phones have never been more popular, and powerful smartphones are now a popular choice for consumers. Stylish and versatile phones packing hardware features like GPS, accelerometers, and touch screens, combined with fixed-rate, reasonably priced data plans provide an enticing platform upon which to create innovative mobile applications.

A host of Android handsets are now available to tempt consumers, including phones with QVGA screens and powerful WVGA devices like the Motorola Droid and the Google Nexus One. The real win though, is for developers. With much existing mobile development built on proprietary operating systems that restrict the development and deployment of third-party applications, Android offers an open alternative. Without artificial barriers, Android developers are free to write applications that take full advantage of increasingly powerful mobile hardware and distribute them in an open market.

As a result, developer interest in Android devices has exploded as handset sales have continued to grow. In 2009 and the early parts of 2010 more than 20 Android handsets have been released from OEMs including HTC, Motorola, LG, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson. Android devices are now available in over 26 countries on more than 32 carriers. In the United States, Android devices are available on all four major carriers: T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. Additionally, you can now buy the unlocked Google Nexus One ...