- Android versions: A living history from 1.0 to 12
- Explore Android’s ongoing evolution with this visual timeline of versions, starting B.C. (Before Cupcake) and going all the way to 2021’s Android 12 release.
- Android Versions
- Android versions 1.0 to 1.1: The early days
- Android version 1.5: Cupcake
- Android version 1.6: Donut
- Android versions 2.0 to 2.1: Eclair
- Android version 2.2: Froyo
- Android version 2.3: Gingerbread
- Android 3.0 to 3.2: Honeycomb
- Android version 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich
- Android versions 4.1 to 4.3: Jelly Bean
- Android version 4.4: KitKat
- Android Version History
- Contents
- Phone Only [ ]
- Tablet Only [ ]
- Phones & Tablets [ ]
- Smartwatches, Mobile Devices, TVs & Cars [ ]
- Preview Versions (Mobile Devices, TVs) [ ]
- From Android 1.0 to Android 10, here’s how Google’s OS evolved over a decade
- Android 1.0 (2008)
- Android 1.5 Cupcake (2009)
- Android 1.6 Donut (2009)
- Android 2.0 Eclair (2009)
- Android 2.2 Froyo (2010)
- Android 2.3 Gingerbread (2010)
- Android 3.0 Honeycomb (2011)
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (2011)
- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (2012)
- Android 4.4 KitKat (2013)
- Android 5.0 Lollipop (2014)
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow (2015)
- Android 7.0 Nougat (2016)
- Android 8.0 Oreo (2017)
- Android 9.0 Pie (2018)
- Android 10 (2019)
- Android 11 (2020)
Android versions: A living history from 1.0 to 12
Explore Android’s ongoing evolution with this visual timeline of versions, starting B.C. (Before Cupcake) and going all the way to 2021’s Android 12 release.
Contributing Editor, Computerworld |
Android Versions
What a long, strange trip it’s been.
From its inaugural release to today, Android has transformed visually, conceptually and functionally — time and time again. Google’s mobile operating system may have started out scrappy, but holy moly, has it ever evolved.
Here’s a fast-paced tour of Android version highlights from the platform’s birth to present. (Feel free to skip ahead if you just want to see what’s new in Android 11 or Android 12.)
Android versions 1.0 to 1.1: The early days
Android made its official public debut in 2008 with Android 1.0 — a release so ancient it didn’t even have a cute codename.
Things were pretty basic back then, but the software did include a suite of early Google apps like Gmail, Maps, Calendar, and YouTube, all of which were integrated into the operating system — a stark contrast to the more easily updatable standalone-app model employed today.
The Android 1.0 home screen and its rudimentary web browser (not yet called Chrome).
Android version 1.5: Cupcake
With early 2009’s Android 1.5 Cupcake release, the tradition of Android version names was born. Cupcake introduced numerous refinements to the Android interface, including the first on-screen keyboard — something that’d be necessary as phones moved away from the once-ubiquitous physical keyboard model.
Cupcake also brought about the framework for third-party app widgets, which would quickly turn into one of Android’s most distinguishing elements, and it provided the platform’s first-ever option for video recording.
Cupcake was all about the widgets.
Android version 1.6: Donut
Android 1.6, Donut, rolled into the world in the fall of 2009. Donut filled in some important holes in Android’s center, including the ability for the OS to operate on a variety of different screen sizes and resolutions — a factor that’d be critical in the years to come. It also added support for CDMA networks like Verizon, which would play a key role in Android’s imminent explosion.
Android’s universal search box made its first appearance in Android 1.6.
Android versions 2.0 to 2.1: Eclair
Keeping up the breakneck release pace of Android’s early years, Android 2.0, Eclair, emerged just six weeks after Donut; its «point-one» update, also called Eclair, came out a couple months later. Eclair was the first Android release to enter mainstream consciousness thanks to the original Motorola Droid phone and the massive Verizon-led marketing campaign surrounding it.
Verizon’s «iDon’t» ad for the Droid.
The release’s most transformative element was the addition of voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation and real-time traffic info — something previously unheard of (and still essentially unmatched) in the smartphone world. Navigation aside, Eclair brought live wallpapers to Android as well as the platform’s first speech-to-text function. And it made waves for injecting the once-iOS-exclusive pinch-to-zoom capability into Android — a move often seen as the spark that ignited Apple’s long-lasting «thermonuclear war» against Google.
The first versions of turn-by-turn navigation and speech-to-text, in Eclair.
Android version 2.2: Froyo
Just four months after Android 2.1 arrived, Google served up Android 2.2, Froyo, which revolved largely around under-the-hood performance improvements.
Froyo did deliver some important front-facing features, though, including the addition of the now-standard dock at the bottom of the home screen as well as the first incarnation of Voice Actions, which allowed you to perform basic functions like getting directions and making notes by tapping an icon and then speaking a command.
Google’s first real attempt at voice control, in Froyo.
Notably, Froyo also brought support for Flash to Android’s web browser — an option that was significant both because of the widespread use of Flash at the time and because of Apple’s adamant stance against supporting it on its own mobile devices. Apple would eventually win, of course, and Flash would become far less common. But back when it was still everywhere, being able to access the full web without any black holes was a genuine advantage only Android could offer.
Android version 2.3: Gingerbread
Android’s first true visual identity started coming into focus with 2010’s Gingerbread release. Bright green had long been the color of Android’s robot mascot, and with Gingerbread, it became an integral part of the operating system’s appearance. Black and green seeped all over the UI as Android started its slow march toward distinctive design.
JR Raphael / IDG
It was easy being green back in the Gingerbread days.
Android 3.0 to 3.2: Honeycomb
2011’s Honeycomb period was a weird time for Android. Android 3.0 came into the world as a tablet-only release to accompany the launch of the Motorola Xoom, and through the subsequent 3.1 and 3.2 updates, it remained a tablet-exclusive (and closed-source) entity.
Under the guidance of newly arrived design chief Matias Duarte, Honeycomb introduced a dramatically reimagined UI for Android. It had a space-like «holographic» design that traded the platform’s trademark green for blue and placed an emphasis on making the most of a tablet’s screen space.
Honeycomb: When Android got a case of the holographic blues.
While the concept of a tablet-specific interface didn’t last long, many of Honeycomb’s ideas laid the groundwork for the Android we know today. The software was the first to use on-screen buttons for Android’s main navigational commands; it marked the beginning of the end for the permanent overflow-menu button; and it introduced the concept of a card-like UI with its take on the Recent Apps list.
Android version 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich
With Honeycomb acting as the bridge from old to new, Ice Cream Sandwich — also released in 2011 — served as the platform’s official entry into the era of modern design. The release refined the visual concepts introduced with Honeycomb and reunited tablets and phones with a single, unified UI vision.
ICS dropped much of Honeycomb’s «holographic» appearance but kept its use of blue as a system-wide highlight. And it carried over core system elements like on-screen buttons and a card-like appearance for app-switching.
JR Raphael / IDG
The ICS home screen and app-switching interface.
Android 4.0 also made swiping a more integral method of getting around the operating system, with the then-revolutionary-feeling ability to swipe away things like notifications and recent apps. And it started the slow process of bringing a standardized design framework — known as «Holo» — all throughout the OS and into Android’s app ecosystem.
Android versions 4.1 to 4.3: Jelly Bean
Spread across three impactful Android versions, 2012 and 2013’s Jelly Bean releases took ICS’s fresh foundation and made meaningful strides in fine-tuning and building upon it. The releases added plenty of poise and polish into the operating system and went a long way in making Android more inviting for the average user.
Visuals aside, Jelly Bean brought about our first taste of Google Now — the spectacular predictive-intelligence utility that’s sadly since devolved into a glorified news feed. It gave us expandable and interactive notifications, an expanded voice search system, and a more advanced system for displaying search results in general, with a focus on card-based results that attempted to answer questions directly.
Multiuser support also came into play, albeit on tablets only at this point, and an early version of Android’s Quick Settings panel made its first appearance. Jelly Bean ushered in a heavily hyped system for placing widgets on your lock screen, too — one that, like so many Android features over the years, quietly disappeared a couple years later.
JR Raphael / IDG
Jelly Bean’s Quick Settings panel and short-lived lock screen widget feature.
Android version 4.4: KitKat
Late-2013’s KitKat release marked the end of Android’s dark era, as the blacks of Gingerbread and the blues of Honeycomb finally made their way out of the operating system. Lighter backgrounds and more neutral highlights took their places, with a transparent status bar and white icons giving the OS a more contemporary appearance.
Android 4.4 also saw the first version of «OK, Google» support — but in KitKat, the hands-free activation prompt worked only when your screen was already on and you were either at your home screen or inside the Google app.
The release was Google’s first foray into claiming a full panel of the home screen for its services, too — at least, for users of its own Nexus phones and those who chose to download its first-ever standalone launcher.
JR Raphael / IDG
The lightened KitKat home screen and its dedicated Google Now panel.
Источник
Android Version History
Logos of various Android versions
Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance, and has seen a number of updates to its base operating system since its original release. These updates typically fix bugs, add new features, and sometimes change the user interface.
The version history of the Android operating system began with the release of the Android 1.0 beta in November 2007. Since April 2009, each Android version has been developed under a codename based on a dessert item. These versions have released in alphabetical order: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow, Nougat, Oreo and Pie The pre-release versions of Android were dubbed Astroboy and Bender, but these names could not ultimately be used for trademark reasons. [citation needed]
Contents
Phone Only [ ]
Tablet Only [ ]
Phones & Tablets [ ]
Smartwatches, Mobile Devices, TVs & Cars [ ]
This section is incomplete. To expand it, tap, or click the edit button.
Preview Versions (Mobile Devices, TVs) [ ]
Android L Developer Preview 1 — Preview 3 (L)
Android M Developer Preview 1 — Preview 3 (M)
Android N Developer Preview 1 — Preview 5 (N)
Android O Developer Preview 1 — Preview 4 (O)
Источник
From Android 1.0 to Android 10, here’s how Google’s OS evolved over a decade
The smartphone has come a long way since the first iPhone launched in 2007. While Apple’s iOS is arguably the world’s first smartphone operating system, Google’s Android is by far the most popular. Android has evolved significantly since first being released on an HTC-made T-Mobile device in 2008. Android was created in 2003 by Andy Rubin, who first started developing an OS for digital cameras. Soon, he realized that the market for digital camera operating systems perhaps wasn’t all that big, and Android, Inc. diverted its attention toward smartphones.
It wasn’t until 2005 that Google purchased Android, Inc., and while there wasn’t much info about Android at the time, many took it as a signal that Google would use the platform to enter the phone business. Eventually, Google did enter the smartphone business — but not as a hardware manufacturer. Instead, it marketed Android to other manufacturers, first catching the eye of HTC, which used the platform for the first Android phone, the HTC Dream, in 2008.
Beginning with that initial version of the operating system running on the HTC Dream, join us as we take a look at how Android has changed in the past decade.
Android 1.0 (2008)
Android 1.0 was far less developed than the operating system we know and love today, but there are still a few similarities. For example, most agreed that Android pretty much nailed how to deal with notifications, and it included the pull-down notification window that blew the notification system in iOS out of the water.
Another groundbreaking innovation in Android is the Google Play Store, which, at the time, was called the Market. While Apple beat it to the punch by launching the App Store on the iPhone a few months earlier, the fact is that together they kick-started the idea of a centralized place to get all your apps — something that’s hard to imagine not having now.
Apart from the Market, Android 1.0 also boasted the ability to use home screen widgets, a feature that iOS did not have, and one that wouldn’t be added until iOS 14 in 2020. Unfortunately, developers couldn’t create their widgets at the time. That changed in later versions. Last but not least, the first version of Android had deep integration with Gmail, a service that had already taken off at the time.
Android 1.5 Cupcake (2009)
The first significant update to Android not only got a new version number, but it was the first to use Google’s dessert-themed naming scheme, too. Cupcake was significant for many reasons, but the most important was that it was the first version of Android to have an on-screen keyboard. Before that, manufacturers had to include physical keyboards on their devices.
Next up is widgets. While earlier versions of Android supported widgets, third-party developers couldn’t create and implement then. Starting with Cupcake, Google opened the widgets SDK to third-party developers, which was a significant move. Now, many developers bundled at least one widget with their app.
Can you imagine a world without video? Before Cupcake, Android did not support video capture, so users with earlier versions of Android could only capture photos. That all (thankfully) changed with Cupcake.
Android 1.6 Donut (2009)
Android Donut gave users a pretty big update — a much more significant update than the 0.1 version number increase suggests. For example, Donut brought Android to millions of people by adding support for CDMA networks such as Verizon, Sprint, and many big networks in Asia.
Donut was targeted at making Android more user-friendly, but some of the most significant updates were under the hood. For example, Donut was the first version of Android to support different screen sizes, meaning that manufacturers could create devices with the display sizes they wanted and still run Android.
Back to user-friendliness, though. Donut was the first version of Android to include what’s now considered an Android staple — the quick search box. Users could now quickly search the web, local files, contacts, and more directly from the home screen without having to open any apps.
Donut also introduced a few aesthetic changes to Android, such as a redesigned Android Market, which offered more curation on top of free and paid apps.
Android 2.0 Eclair (2009)
While the updates to Android so far were outstanding, they were still incremental refinements of the same operating system. Around a year after Android was first released, Android 2.0 Eclair made its debut, bringing some massive changes to the operating system, many of which are still around today.
Eclair was the first device to feature Google Maps navigation, for instance, kicking off what soon became the death of the in-car GPS unit. While Maps has changed a lot since then, a few essential features showed up in the service that is still present today, such as turn-by-turn navigation and voice guidance. There were turn-by-turn navigation apps at that time, but they were expensive, meaning Google’s move to offer Maps for free was pretty disruptive.
The internet browser in Android Eclair also got revamped for the new operating system. Google added HTML5 support to the browser and the ability to play videos, putting Eclair on par with the ultimate mobile internet machine at the time — the iPhone. Last but not least was the lock screen, which got a significant refresh and allowed users to swipe to unlock — just like on the iPhone. From the lock screen, users could also change the phone’s mute mode.
Android 2.2 Froyo (2010)
Android Froyo was first released in 2010 and proved why it was an advantage to have a Nexus phone. The Nexus One, which was the first Nexus phone to be released, was also the first phone to get the Android Froyo update. Aimed more at refining the Android experience, Froyo offered users five home screen panels instead of three, and showed off a redesigned Gallery app.
There were, however, a few under-the-hood improvements. For example, Froyo was the first version of Android to bring mobile hotspot support. Users also finally got the PIN lock screen, which was perfect for those who didn’t like the pattern lock screen previously offered by Android.
Android 2.3 Gingerbread (2010)
The Nexus program was finally coming into its own, and the release of Gingerbread confirmed that. Google chose the Samsung-built Nexus S for this one. However, one phone derived from Samsung’s highly successful Galaxy S. Gingerbread was another great Android refinement, and it saw a redesign of Android’s stock widgets and home screen.
Gingerbread also came with an improved keyboard, which offered new coloration for the keys, as well as improved multitouch support, which allowed users to press multiple keys to access a secondary keyboard. Last but not least is that Gingerbread added support for the front-facing camera — what would us selfie-lovers do without that?
Android 3.0 Honeycomb (2011)
Google had been making waves in the smartphone industry for a few years now, which made Honeycomb an exciting release purely because its target was tablets. It was even first showcased on a Motorola device that would eventually become the Xoom.
Honeycomb provided a few design cues as to what would appear in future versions of Android. Instead of accenting the operating system with the classic green Android color, for example, Google switched to blue accents. On top of that, instead of having to choose home screen widgets from a simple list, where you couldn’t see what the widgets looked like, previews were offered for individual widgets. Perhaps the most significant move in Honeycomb was the fact that it removed the need for the physical button. Instead, the home, back, and menu buttons were all included in the software as virtual buttons, meaning they could be hidden or shown based on the application.
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (2011)
The Nexus S was a great phone, but it wasn’t the end-all-be-all of Google’s partnership with Samsung. The two paired up once again for the release of the Galaxy Nexus, which showcased Ice Cream Sandwich, an operating system that brought many of Honeycomb’s features over to the smartphone.
The operating system brought over the aforementioned virtual buttons, as well as the tweaked and refined interface that made use of the blue highlights. Other small features, such as face unlock, data usage analysis, and new apps for mail and calendar were also included in the update.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (2012)
Android Jelly Bean signaled a new era for the operating system, even if the OS seemed more or less the same as its predecessor. If you dug a little deeper, you would have seen some significant changes. The most important of which was Google Now, which could be accessed with a quick swipe from the home screen and brought information — i.e., calendar events, emails, weather reports — all to a single display. The feature was Google’s first major stab at a digital assistant, and it laid the groundwork for future versions of digital assistants, including Google Assistant.
Apart from Google Now, several other significant additions featured in Jelly Bean such as Project Butter, designed to drastically improve Android’s touch performance by tripling buffering graphics. Said project update eliminated a lot of the stutter in Android and made it a much smoother experience overall. Refreshed font, expandable notifications, greater widget flexibility, and other features were also added in Jelly Bean, rendering it one of the most significant updates to Android at the time.
Android 4.4 KitKat (2013)
The launch of Android 4.4 KitKat coincided with the premiere of the Nexus 5, and it came with many great features. For example, KitKat represented one of the most significant aesthetic changes to the operating system to date, modernizing the look of Android. The blue accents found in Ice Cream Sandwich and Jellybean became a more refined white accent, and several redesigned Android stock apps displayed lighter color schemes.
Apart from a new look, KitKat also brought things like the “OK, Google” search command, which allowed the user to access Google Now at any time. It also brought a new phone dialer, full-screen apps, and a new Hangouts app, which offered SMS support along with support for the Hangouts messaging platform.
Android 5.0 Lollipop (2014)
Android Lollipop, which debuted alongside the Nexus 6, was the first to feature Google’s “Material Design” philosophy. The updates, however, weren’t purely aesthetic — the operating system also exhibited a few significant updates under the hood.
Google replaced the aging Dalvik VM with Android Runtime, for example, which boasted ahead-of-time compilation. Essentially, this meant that part of the processing power required for apps was supplied before said apps opened. On top of that, users saw several notification upgrades, the addition of RAW image support, and a host of other refinements.
Android 5.0 also saw the addition of another version of Android, dubbed Android TV, which brought Android to the big screen and is still in use on plenty of TVs today.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow (2015)
Android Marshmallow brought about both design changes and changes under the hood. Most notably, the app menu almost completely changed. Google used a white background instead of black, for instance, and added a search bar to help users quickly find the app they needed. Android Marshmallow also brought the addition of the memory manager, which allowed you to check the memory usage of any app used within the past 3, 6, 12, or 24 hours.
Next up were the volume controls. In Marshmallow, you got access to a more comprehensive set of volume controls, allowing you to change the volume for the device, media, and alarms. Security also got a pretty big boost within the operating system. Android officially supported fingerprint sensors beginning with Marshmallow, and permissions got a significant revamp. Instead of apps requesting all permissions upfront when downloaded, permissions were sought on an as-needed basis when they were required.
Android 7.0 Nougat (2016)
Android 7.0 Nougat arguably marked one of the most significant upgrades to Android in its ten years — primarily because of how smart the operating system got. Perhaps the largest impact on Android in Nougat was that Google Now was replaced with the now much-respected Google Assistant.
Along with Assistant, Nougat brought an improved notifications system, which tweaked how notifications looked and acted within the OS. Announcements were presented from screen to screen, and unlike previous iterations of Android, they could be grouped for easy management. Multitasking also got a boost with Nougat. Whether you’re using a phone or a tablet, you’ll be able to use split-screen mode, allowing you to use two apps at once without having to exit out of each app every few minutes.
Android 8.0 Oreo (2017)
Android Oreo took the Android platform to version 8.0, and in particular, brought a ton of multitasking features. Picture-in-picture and native split-screen both made their debuts in Android Oreo, meaning you could continue watching your favorite show on Netflix while browsing the web.
Android Oreo also gave us a whole lot more control over notifications. With Oreo, users had the ability to turn notification channels on or off, meaning they could get super granular with notifications showing up and how they appear. In particular, notification channels allowed users to sort notifications based on importance. Also notification-related, Oreo brought notification dots and the ability to snooze notifications.
A few other smaller features showed up in Oreo, too. For example, Google did away with the blob style for emojis, replacing them with emojis that were a little more in line with other platforms. Oreo also gave us auto-enable Wi-Fi, a smart text selector, and so on.
Android 9.0 Pie (2018)
Ten years after the launch of Android on smartphones, we got Android 9.0 Pie. Android Pie brought with it several visual changes that made it the most significant update to Android in a few years.
Most notably, Android 9.0 Pie did away with the three-button setup that existed in Android for years, replacing it with a single pill-shaped button and gestures for controlling things like multitasking. Android 9.0 Pie also brought some changes to notifications, including extra control over the types of notifications that show up and where they show up, as well as Google’s “Digital Wellbeing,” a feature that essentially tells you how often you use your phone, the apps that you use the most, and so on. The feature is aimed at helping users better manage their digital lives to curb smartphone addiction.
Other features include an adaptive battery, which limits how much battery background apps can use, as well as “App Actions,” which are deep-links to specific app features that show up straight from the app drawer.
Android 10 (2019)
Android 10 marked a shift for Google. You might’ve noticed that there’s no fun and sugary name for the version of Android this year. That’s no mistake — along with the rollout of the latest version of Android, Google also announced a rebranding of the operating system, doing away with the naming scheme and sticking with version numbers only. Also, Google announced a new logo for Android, as well as a refreshing color scheme.
Android eliminated version 9’s “back” button in the upgrade. Navigation gestures have replaced it and other Android navigation buttons in Android 10. Android 10 also features a new system-wide dark mode , potentially extending battery life and making the device’s screen a bit less harsh on the eyes. The upgrade also includes many new customizable features, giving you a unique and immersive Android experience.
Android 11 (2020)
Android released the public beta for Android 11 in June 2020. It’s available for Google Pixel 2 through Google Pixel 4 models, Xiaomi Mi 10 and 10 Pro, and OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro smartphones. Especially impressive are this upgrade’s smart-home control toggles within the Device Control hub, which let you control any linked smart-home devices. You can also use your smartphone or tablet to control audio and media output effortlessly.
Notifications now include a separate “Conversation” section, an improvement that lets users screen app alerts and other device messages as is convenient. Users can also choose whether individual apps are required to request permissions each time the app opens. This feature improves security by preventing apps from constantly accessing your data; you can grant or revoke the access at any time. There were concerns that the planned September 8, 2020 release date for Android 11 would get postponed due to the pandemic, but fortunately, that didn’t happen. The release went as planned, and Android 11’s new and improved features are available to all users.
Источник