The first Android

On August 17, 2005, Google acquired the initial developer of the mobile software Android: Android Inc., founded in Palo Alto in October of 2003 by Andy Rubin (co-founder of Danger), Rich Miner (co-founder of Wildfire Communications, Inc.), Nick Sears (former VP at T-Mobile), and Chris White (design and interface development at WebTV).

At Google, the team led by Andy Rubin developed a mobile device platform powered by the Linux kernel. Android beta was released in November 2007 while the software developer's kit (SDK) was released on November 12, 2007.

The first commercial version of Android, Android 1.0, was released on September 23, 2008.

Android is a Linux-based open-source operating system for mobile devices developed by the Open Handset Alliance. The Open Handset Alliance, led by Google, is a consortium of 86 hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.

Since April 2009, each Android version has been developed under a codename based on a dessert or sweet treat. These versions have been released in alphabetical order: Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Froyo (frozen yogurt), Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean. The pre-release versions of Android were dubbed Astro and Bender, but these names could not ultimately be used for trademark reasons.

Android became the world’s leading smartphone platform at the end of 2010.

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