Android has been spherical for barely over a decade and a lot has modified given that its early days. What started as a simple working system has flip right into a powerhouse spanning all through quite a few models and type components. The historic previous of Android is an interesting story. You might suppose you know the whole thing there could also be to know about Android, nonetheless we’ve obtained 10 points you probably didn’t know about. Check it out!

1. Google didn’t create Android

Nowadays Google and Android are synonymous with one one other, nonetheless you may be surprised to go looking out out that was not on a regular basis the case. Android was primarily based in 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. The founders had sturdy ties to T-Mobile. Andy Rubin created the ultra-popular T-Mobile Sidekick, and Nick Sears was vp at T-Mobile. So, you can see why T-Mobile landed the first Android phone.

It wasn’t until 2005 that Google acquired Android Inc. Rubin, Miner, and White all stayed with Android by means of the acquisition. Together, they developed what we now know as a result of the Android OS, in precise reality, Rubin’s nickname is the place the title “Android” bought right here from. Many people take into consideration Android to be one of Google’s best acquisitions and 10 years after the acquisition, Android has ballooned to handle 88% of the smartphone OS market share.

2. Many critics thought Android would fail miserably

Android is kind of universally praised nowadays, nonetheless once more throughout the day critics had been quite a bit additional skeptical. At the time of Android’s emergence, the iPhone was nonetheless comparatively latest whereas Microsoft and Blackberry had been busy foremost the way in which wherein in smartphones. The considered an internet search and e mail agency making telephones didn’t appear to be a slam dunk.

In late 2008 all through a round-table dialogue about cell the question was requested “we have to talk about Android, right?” A member from Pandora adamantly responded  “Why? Why do we have to talk about Android – nobody cares.” Obviously Pandora lastly wised up and created an Android app.

Check out this comment from a Wired article that generally known as the G1 one of 2008’s worst cell telephones.

“The G1’s unveiling was a lot like the Bigfoot press conference — a long, awkward presentation that left a lot of people confused and/or disappointed. The handset poised to out-iPhone the iPhone had a laundry list of hardware letdowns: bulky, unattractive, and saddled with yet another proprietary headphone jack.”

It really wasn’t the prettiest smartphone of its time, nonetheless what the G1 lacked in appears to be it made up for in efficiency. Some would say that’s even increased.

3. The first Android prototype appeared like a Blackberry

Many people contemplate that if it wasn’t for the iPhone, the first Android gadget would have appeared drastically fully totally different than the T-Mobile G1 (HTC Dream). In 2007, sooner than Apple confirmed off the distinctive iPhone, the first Android prototype was already floating spherical. The gadget — codenamed “Sooner” — had a portrait keyboard, title and end buttons, monitor pad, and no touchscreen the least bit. The Android UI even fastidiously resembled the Blackberry interface.

Of course, all that changed as quickly because the iPhone was launched. It was so fully totally different. There was no bodily keyboard, solely an infinite present for its time and a revolutionary touchscreen interface. The subsequent Android gadget we’d see after that — the T-Mobile G1 — would even have an infinite present with a touchscreen interface.

The BlackBerry-esque prototype? It under no circumstances bought right here to market. We can’t say for positive that the iPhone had any impression on Google’s imaginative and prescient for Android, however it wouldn’t be out of the question.

4. Android 1.zero and 1.1 weren’t named after desserts

For a really very long time Google has been nicknaming new variations of Android with desserts. Before Oreo we had Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and much extra up the freeway was KitKat, Jelly Bean, Ice Cream Sandwich, and so forth. Android followers are on a regular basis attempting to predict what the next title could be. Google even obtained in on the fulfilling with this teaser video for Android 5.zero.

What you won’t know is the first couple variations of Android actually weren’t named after desserts. At least not intentionally. Android 1.zero was commonly known as “Alpha” or “Astro Boy” whereas Android 1.1 technically had a dessert title, nonetheless not throughout the order that we know as we communicate. It was recognized internally as “Petit Four,” which is a small French appetizer. Android 1.5 “Cupcake” was the first mannequin to have an official dessert nickname and so began the naming scheme we see as we communicate.

The “A” and “B” dessert names for Android 1.zero and 1.1 will not ever be recognized however once we wanted to guess which names they’d have used, perhaps “Apple Pie” and “Banana Split” are pretty obvious. What would you guess?

5. Android 3.zero is the one mannequin to under no circumstances run on telephones

Today Android is constructed to run on many a number of kinds of configurations in all sizes and kinds. Everything from telephones, tablets, watches, autos, TVs — you title it. But that hasn’t on a regular basis been the case. In 2010, Apple launched the distinctive iPad and the tech world instantly had capsule fever. Android producers wanted to cash in on the capsule frenzy nonetheless on the time, the OS was solely suited to smaller screened models like smartphones.

It didn’t stop some producers from giving it a shot. Samsung had some luck using Android 2.3 Gingerbread on the mid-sized Galaxy Tab 7.zero, however when Android was going to compete with the 10-inch iPad it needed a major overhaul and at CES 2011, the world obtained its first take a look at Android 3.zero Honeycomb engaged on the Motorola XOOM.

Honeycomb featured a completely redesigned client interface, one made specifically for tablets. With a darkish “Holo UI,” and greater interactive widgets, the Android mannequin was nonetheless considered a failure in some respects. While every producer on the face of the Earth was making Android tablets, that they had been pricey and lacked appropriate tablet-dedicated apps. Google would lastly scrap Honeycomb and constructed future variations of Android — starting with Ice Cream Sandwich — to work on all show sizes. One of the lasting choices of Honeycomb is the on-screen nav buttons we nonetheless use to at the moment.

6. First Android phone didn’t even have a digital keyboard or 3.5mm headset jack

If you would return to 2008 and inform the world that the majority smartphones in the end wouldn’t have bodily keyboards — you might be laughed at. During this time the popular phone was a BlackBerry, which in any case had an iconic bodily keyboard. The considered a software with out bodily keys didn’t flip into well-liked until the distinctive iPhone, nonetheless even then there have been many skeptics.

In fact, the first Android gadget — the T-Mobile G1 — bought right here equipped with a slide-out bodily keyboard, nonetheless you is more likely to be additional surprised to check what it didn’t have. The G1 shipped with Android 1.1 which, on the time, didn’t attribute a digital keyboard for typing on the show. You fully needed to make use of the bodily keyboard to kind, which meant you couldn’t do any one-handed typing in portrait mode. It wasn’t until six months later with the discharge of Android 1.5 that the G1 lastly added a digital keyboard.

The totally different attribute lacking from the T-Mobile G1 was an infinite one that couldn’t be fixed with a simple software program program exchange: the headphone jack. HTC inexplicably did not embody a standard 3.5mm headphone jack throughout the G1. Instead, the phone bought right here with a proprietary adapter you needed to make use of which implies you wouldn’t take heed to music and value the phone on the same time. This was a normal criticism throughout the preliminary evaluations for the T-Mobile G1 and surprisingly a foreshadowing of points to return.

7. Android obtained Google’s CEO kicked off Apple’s board

Over time as opponents between iOS and Android has picked up, the connection between Apple and Google wasn’t so nice. This was most evident in 2009 when Google CEO Eric Schmidt was compelled to resign from Apple’s board of directors. Steve Jobs had this to say:

“Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple’s core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest.”

You can take into consideration there have been a great deal of sensational headlines about this story, however it makes a great deal of sense. What good is a board member that will’t be present at conferences attributable to a battle of curiosity? The relationship between Google and Apple continued to heat up as years went on, with Apple making the controversial decision to remove Google Maps in iOS 6, resulting in Google later blocking Apple’s private third event YouTube app.

Eventually an settlement might be met the place Google might be allowed to provide their apps throughout the App Store, even turning into the default search engine in iOS for the hefty sum of $3-4 billion a 12 months.

8. WebOS might have destroyed Android

As we’ve already lined, people had been a bit skeptical of Android on the very beginning. WebOS alternatively was universally praised when it was launched. At that time there have been only some Android models on the market and by the purpose WebOS launched, Android 1.5 was nonetheless latest and no one had even heard of the Motorola DROID.

The timing was glorious for WebOS to stomp out Android and switch into the true contender to iOS, a minimum of that’s what critics believed. It may have actually occurred too if it wasn’t for a few uncommon selections by Palm. They launched the first WebOS gadget on Sprint in its place of one of the massive carriers and the promoting and advertising advertising marketing campaign was very uncommon to say the least. Still, the Palm Pre supplied very properly the first month, nonetheless suffered from a steep drop off after that.

A number of months later Verizon would announce the Motorola DROID and Apple was onto to the iPhone 3GS. Palm and WebOS fizzled out, Google continued to boost Android, and now it quickly dominated the world with its open platform. Google would later lease the designer of WebOS, Matias Duarte, to help improve Android’s interface and design. His first large contribution? Android 3.zero Honeycomb’s Holo UI.

9. Sony made the first Android smartwatch in 2010

In 2014, Google launched Android Wear, a selected mannequin of Android constructed significantly for smartwatches. Since then we’ve seen a bunch of Android smartwatches flood the market. You might suppose that these are the first Android-based smartwatches to have been made, nonetheless one agency beat everyone to the punch.

Way once more in 2010 Sony (Ericsson) launched the LiveView watch. It linked with Android telephones to point out Twitter timelines, RSS feeds, SMS, and administration the phone’s media participant. Sony would later launch the SmartWatch 2 in 2013 with a lot of the comparable choices. It wasn’t until spherical this time that Samsung launched their first Android-based smartwatch nonetheless Sony was first out the gate.

10. Phandroid is the first Android-focused website on the planet

On November fifth 2007 Google formally launched Android. On that very same day the first submit on Phandroid.com was revealed. Wired.com even wrote a short article about Phandroid, saying “Android already has Phandroids” and we’ve been reporting on Android info for over 7 years now.

Here’s a quick take a look at what Phandroid appeared like once more then. The web site has modified a lot over time, nonetheless one issue hasn’t: our dedication to all points Android. No one has been doing this longer than us and we plan on retaining it meaning for a couple of years to return. Whether you’ve been proper right here given that beginning or just started learning we hope you stick spherical to see the whole thing Android has to provide.

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Now it’s your flip. Any random Android facts you found primarily probably the most interesting? What was the very first Android gadget you ever owned? Can you keep in mind which mannequin of Android it ran? Share your Android tales with us down underneath!