Android was not crated by Google! It was developed by Android, Inc., a small startup company from California, US. Google acquired the company in 2005 and in 2007 created the initial version of the Android SDK (software development kit). Later, in 2008 the Android 1.0 SDK was released. Starting with version 1.5, every major relase of Android is named with a name based on a desert.

SDK Update Release Date and Changes

1.1

Android SDK v1.1 was released on Februray, 2009. This version incouded support for searching by voice and paid applications via Android Market.

1.5 (Cupcake) Based on Linux Kernel 2.6.27

Google released SDK 1.5 on April 30, 2009. Changes included the ability to record and watch videos through camcorder mode, the ability to upload videos to YouTube and pictures to Picasa, the ability to populate the home screen with widgets, and animated screen transitions.

1.6 (Donut) Based on Linux Kernel 2.6.29

Google released SDK 1.6 on September 15, 2009. Changes included an improved Android Market experience, an integrated camera/camcorder/gallery interface, updated “search by voice” with speed and other improvements, and an updated search experience.

2.0/2.1 (Eclair) Based on Linux Kernel 2.6.29

Google released SDK 2.0 on October 26, 2009. Changes included a revamped user interface, a new contacts list, support for Microsoft Exchange, digital zoom, improved Google Maps (version 3.1.2), HTML5 support for the Browser app, live wallpapers, and Bluetooth 2.1 support. Google subsequently released SDK update 2.0.1 on December 3, 2009, and SDK update 2.1 on January 12, 2010.

2.2 (Froyo) Based on Linux Kernel 2.6.32

Google released SDK 2.2 on May 20, 2009. Changes included the integration of Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine into the Browser app, voice dialing and contact sharing over Bluetooth, Adobe Flash 10.1 support, additional app speed improvements courtesy of a JIT implementation, and USB tethering and WiFi hotspot functionality.

2.3 (Gingerbread) Based on Linux Kernel 2.6.35.7

Google released SDK 2.3 on December 6, 2010. Changes included a new concurrent garbage collector that improves an app’s responsiveness, support for gyroscope sensing, support for WebM video playback and other video improvements, support for near field communication, and improved social networking features. This book focuses on Android 2.3. Google subsequently released SDK 2.3.1 to fix some bugs, and SDK 2.3.3, a small feature release that adds several improvements and APIs to the Android 2.3 platform.

3.0 (Honeycomb) Based on Linux 2.6.36

Google released SDK 3.0 on February 22, 2011. Unlike previous releases, version 3.0 focuses exclusively on tablets, such as Motorola Zoom, the first tablet to be released (on February 24, 2011). In addition to an improved user interface, version 3.0 improves multitasking, supports multicore processors, supports hardware acceleration, and provides a 3D desktop with redesigned widgets.