developed by Google. With a user interface based on direct manipulation, Android is
designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet
computers, with specialized user interfaces for televisions (Android TV), cars (Android
Auto), and wrist watches (Android Wear). The OS uses touch inputs that loosely
correspond to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching, and reverse pinching to
manipulate on-screen objects, and a virtual keyboard. Despite being primarily designed for
touchscreen input, it also has been used in game consoles, digital cameras, regular PCs
(e.g. the HP Slate 21) and other electronics.
As of July 2013, the Google Play store has had over one million Android applications
("apps") published, and over 50 billion applications downloaded. A developer survey
conducted in April–May 2013 found that 71% of mobile developers develop for Android.
At Google I/O 2014, the company revealed that there were over one billion active monthly
Android users, up from 538 million in June 2013. As of 2015, Android has the largest
installed base of all general-purpose operating systems.
Android's source code is released by Google under open source licenses, although most
Android devices ultimately ship with a combination of open source and proprietary
software, including proprietary software developed and licensed by Google. Initially
developed by Android, Inc., which Google backed financially and later bought in 2005,
Android was unveiled in 2007, along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance—a
consortium of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing
open standards for mobile devices.
Android is popular with technology companies which require a ready-made, low-cost and
customizable operating system for high-tech devices. Android's open nature has
encouraged a large community of developers and enthusiasts to use the open-source code
as a foundation for community-driven projects, which add new features for advanced
users or bring Android to devices which were officially released running other operating
systems. The operating system's success has made it a target for patent litigation as partof the so-called "smartphone wars" between technology companies.
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