10 Facts About Android Which You Probably Didn't Know

As the world’s most popular mobile platform, there are plenty of facts about Android that most consumers are familiar with, however there are some that may take you by surprise.

1. Android was originally developed for digital cameras. The platform’s creators later made the switch to smartphones as they saw potential in the new technology. Well, maybe that's why we love it so much for EmoFix [ we don't need any app though:) ]

2. Android is completely open source. Users are welcome to download, edit and enhance the source code of the operating system, adding their own quirks and features. It is also entirely free to access, unlike the Microsoft operating system or Apple’s iOS. The code is released under AOSP (the Android Open Source Project) under the Apache License which allows full distribution and modification.

3. Similarly, Android’s development tools are also freely available at developer.android.com,

where you can download the Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and get started straight away, which is one reason the Android platform is so popular with developers and tech enthusiasts. There are endless tutorials online for editing with Android’s tools on sites such as XDA-Developers and Github.

4. Google did not create Android, contrary to popular belief. Andy Rubin shaped Android Inc. as a company in it’s own right long before Google purchased the company for $50 million in 2005.

5. Before joining Google, Andy Rubin worked at Apple, where he was given the nickname ‘Android’ due to his love of robots. He chose to name the company after this namesake.

6. There are devices in space currently running the Android operating system. They are floating robots consisting of Nexus S handsets. They run on Android version 2.3, Gingerbread.

7. We are all familiar with the Android logo, but the cute robot we know and love is not actually named Android. The mascot is named Bugdroid and is referred to by name by Google’s development team.

8. The first ever Android Smartphone was the HTC Dream (also known as the G1). Released in 2008, it ran on Android version 1.6, Donut, and featured a 3.2 inch screen and full slider QWERTY keyboard. At the time, it was miles ahead and pioneered the Android revolution.

9. Android has been registered and activated on over one billion devices worldwide, such as smartphones and tablets.

10. It’s a known fact that aside from the first two, Android versions are named after sweet treats, but you may not have realised that each release has followed alphabetically. In order of release, the versions are named Astro, Bender, Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat and Lollypop.

Did you know this? That's quite fun actually. If you have more facts to share, leave a comment.