Introduction to Android

Platform Overview19.3.2013

Content

Introduction to AndroidMarket ShareArchitectureComparisons between Android and othersAdvantage and disadvantageSpecialty of Android

What is Android?

• Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications.

Android

Linux based mobile phone operating system

Developed by Google

Open software platform for mobiles

Fast application development in Java

An Open Handset Alliance (OHA) project

OHA (Open Handset Alliance)

OHA consist of 47 companies to develop open standards for mobile devices

Phones

HTC OneMotorola Droid

Samsung Galaxy

Sony XperiaGoogle Nexus

LG Optimus

Google Nexus Asus Transformer Kindle Fire

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Toshiba Android SmartBook

Motorola Xoom

Tablets

Market Share

Architecture

Applications

Android provides a set of core applications:

• Email Client• SMS Program• Calendar• Maps• Browser• ContactsAll applications written by Java language

Developers have full access to the framework

APIs allow to reuse components

Application framework

Feature RoleView System

Used to build an application, GUI Objects and embedded web browser

Content Provider

Enables applications to access data from other applications, or to share their own data

Resource Manager

Provides access to non-code resources (graphics, and layout files)

Notification Manager

Enables applications to display customer alerts in the status bar

Activity Manager

Manages the lifecycle of applications. Provides common navigation back stack

Application framework

• A set of C/C++ libraries

• Used by components of the Android system

• Developers can use through the Android application framework

Libraries

Core Libraries

Provides most functionalities for:

• Data Structures• Utilities• File Access• Network Access• Graphics

Runtime

Dalvik Virtual Machine• Executing the Dalvik Executable (.dex) format• Optimized for minimal memory footprint• Compilation

• Rely on the Linux Kernel for:

- Threading- Low-level memory management

Linux Kernel

• Relies on Linux Kernel 2.6 for core system services

• Memory and Process Management• Network Stack• Driver Model• Security• Provides an abstraction layer

between the H/W and the rest of the S/W stack

Android Symbian

Multiple Home Screen 5 Multiple Home Screens

You can change the base firmware

You can never the base firmware

Android market has 200,000 apps.

Nokia store has around 40,000 apps.

Supports multi-core processors (dual/quad core)

Single core processors up to 1 GHz

Supports more than 2 GB of RAM

Supports up to 512 MB of RAM

Android Windows Phone

Open-source Closed-source

Association with Google search, Google Maps,

Google Voice apps

Association with Bing search, Bing Maps,

Bing Voice

Support Multitasking Supports multitasking only in Windows 8

Full support Multiple Account Sync.,

No Outlook requireGmail support only

though Outlook

Advantages

Open Source Platform

Multitaskingcapable to run many applications same time

Easy access easy access to lot of free and premium apps

Easy notification of any SMS and email

Widgetized home screen easy access to settings quickly and easily

DisadvantagesOpen source • Anyone can scrutinize the source

code • Problem of Security

For Administrative changes, need to know Linux commands

Unstable and prone to crashes compared to other Mobile OS

Poor supports for online games

Poor battery backup

Summary of Android

A component based architecture

Browser and map views can be embedded directly in your applications

Automatic management of application life cycle

High quality graphics and sound

Portability across a wide range of hardware