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Android (operating system)
open-source operating system for mobile devices created by Google / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Android is an operating system for mobile devices. It is mostly used for smartphones, like Google's own Google Pixel, as well as by other phone manufacturers like HTC and Samsung. It has also been used for tablets such as the Motorola, Xoom and Amazon Kindle. A modified Linux kernel is used as Android's kernel.[7]
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Screenshot  Android 13 home screen with Pixel Launcher | |
| Developer | Google, Open Handset Alliance |
|---|---|
| Written in | Java (UI), C (core), C++ and more[1] |
| OS family | Unix-like |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open source (most devices include proprietary components, such as Google Play) |
| Initial release | September 23, 2008; 14 years ago (2008-09-23)[2] |
| Latest release | Android 13 / August 15, 2022; 8 months ago (2022-08-15) |
| Latest preview | Android 13 Beta 1 |
| Repository | |
| Marketing target | Smartphones, tablet computers, smart TVs (Android TV), Android Auto and smartwatches (Wear OS) |
| Available in | 100+ languages[3] |
| Package manager | APK (primarily through Google Play; installation of APKs also possible locally or from alternative sources such as F-Droid) |
| Platforms | 64-bit ARM, x86-64, unofficial RISC-V support; 32-bit (for e.g. ARM) was supported[4][5] |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (modified Linux kernel) |
| Default user interface | Graphical (multi-touch) |
| License | Apache License 2.0 GNU GPL v2 for the Linux kernel modifications[6] |
| Official website | android |
Google says that over 1.3 million Android smartphones are sold every day.[8] Most mobile phones run Android, making it the most popular mobile operating system. It is also the most popular operating system in general.
It supports multitasking and two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics.
Security updates are not provided on versions older than Android 10. Newer versions receive security updates if the phone manufacturer supports them. Phones which have Android 10 and above receive security updates (like app updates) directly from Google Play.
The current stable version is Android 13, released on August 15, 2022. As of October 2022[update], Android 9 is the most used version.