What is Android?

Remember the last time you were looking to buy a smartphone? Perhaps the first question a salesperson asked you, was if you wanted to buy an Android or an iPhone, which runs on iOS. However, you may have noticed how the Android operating system is across different brands, price points, and smartphone models. This may have left you a little confused as to what exactly Android is. Well, we’re here to tell you just that. Read on.

Android: What it is

Android is an open-source operating system developed and launched by Google in 2008 for mobile devices including smartphones and tablets. Launched in 2008, it quickly evolved to become one of the most widely used operating systems in the world, today powering billions of devices.

Key advantages of the Android operating system

One of the key advantages with Android is that it is an open-source software, which means that its source code is freely available to developers and brands to modify and distribute. This is why anyone is free to access and modify it as per their preferences and create entirely new user interfaces (UI) for it.

This is why you may have noticed significant differences in the UI on a Xiaomi and a OnePlus smartphone, or even an Oppo and a Nothing Phone even though they all may be running on Android.

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Moreover, users themselves can make several customisations and personalise their devices using interchangeable themes, and widgets which can be customised and placed anywhere on their home screen according to their convenience, and of course, third-party applications. What’s more, its integration with the Google Suite, with services such as Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Drive further adds to the platform’s popularity.

In addition to this, the Android operating system is also extremely robust, since it receives periodic updates aimed at enhancing the overall user experience as well as security, for your data.

In recent years, it has not just remained limited to smartphones, and has expanded its reach to other devices including smartwatches, and smart TVs, further adding to its utility. In conclusion, then, Android is more than just an operating system. It is an extremely potent platform that has consistently allowed users greater flexibility, personalisation, and security in their everyday smartphone experience.