Dating the birth of Android isn’t that easy. Was it October 2003, when four computer engineers launched their startup? Or in late 2007, at the founding of the Open Handset Alliance? We solved this thorny question by placing the actual arrival of the mobile operating system in November 2007, when the first beta version was available to the public.
Earlier, the story begins in 2003, when Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears and Chris White founded Android Inc. in Palo Alto (California). Far from already having a grand plan in mind to dominate the world of mobile telephony, the main goal of these four IT bigwigs was to improve digital cameras. The original idea was to develop a system to improve connectivity and cloud storage for cameras through an “Android Data Center”. Hence the name was chosen for the company. The philosophy of the founders is then simple: smart mobile devices, which are able to adapt to their owner’s preferences and location.
But in 2004, facing declining sales of digital cameras, Android Inc. changed course. The company decided to focus on creating an operating system for mobile phones that could compete with industry giants like Symbian and Windows Mobile at the time.
This is what Android 1.0 looked like. © Google
Taken over by Google
Despite this strategic focus, Android Inc. This is where Google comes into play. The online search giant, looking to diversify, cautiously bought the startup in August 2005 for $50 million. Three of the founders (Rubin, Miner and White) are at Google. The team moved into Mountain View’s offices on July 11, 2005, the date considered the official merger between the two companies. Under the auspices of Google, the Android vision is evolving. The goal now is to create an open and free platform, capable of equipping as many mobile phones as possible. Clearly a strategy driven by Google that sees the project as a potential Trojan horse to better penetrate the mobile market. Many people at the search giant could not have imagined the genius of this idea at the time.
The iPhone, a beneficial electroshock
In January 2007, while the Android team was hard at work on their first smartphone prototype, called the Skin, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone. A true revolution that forces Google to thoroughly review its copy. Chris DeSalvo, a former engineer at the web giant, recalls: “What we saw all of a sudden… In the 1990s, I was blown away as a user. But as an engineer at Google, I said to myself: We have to start over. Andy Rubin, on a business trip, was so stunned by the iPhone presentation that he asked his driver to stop and watch the entire keynote. He immediately realizes that the Android project must be completely redesigned.
The birth of the Open Handset Alliance
Faced with this obstacle, Google reacted quickly. In November 2007, the company announced the formation of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), a consortium bringing together 34 companies in the mobile telephony sector. Among them are phone manufacturers (HTC, Motorola), operators (T-Mobile) and chipmakers (Qualcomm, Texas Instruments). The purpose of this alliance is to develop open standards for mobile devices. This approach, radically different from Apple with its closed ecosystem, will be decisive for Android’s future success.
On October 22, 2008, nearly two years after the introduction of the iPhone, the first Android smartphone was released: the HTC Dream, also known as the T-Mobile G1 in the United States. Although technically behind the iPhone, the HTC Dream introduced several innovations that would become Android trademarks: a touchscreen combined with a sliding physical keyboard, Google services (Gmail, Maps, YouTube). Strong integration and above all, this possibility for users. Personalize their device.
For a long time now, Google has named every Android update after a candy. Here, the build for the Android 6.0 Marshmallow release. © Asif Islam
The rise of power
Since then, Android has grown exponentially. The operating system benefits from frequent updates, each bringing its share of new features. These updates are named after desserts, in alphabetical order: Cupcake (1.5), Donut (1.6), Eclair (2.0), etc.
At the same time, many smartphone manufacturers are adopting Android, attracted by its free use and flexibility. Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony and many others are launching Android devices, expanding the offerings available to consumers. This strategy paid off and by 2011 Android had overtaken Apple’s iOS to become the most used mobile operating system in the world. In 2014, its market share reached 84.7% of smartphones sold worldwide. And those who didn’t jump on the bandwagon like Nokia and BlackBerry will pay a heavy price, because it’s precisely because of their outdated operating systems that these two giants of the 2000s are under the door. Put the key.
Conflicts too
Despite its phenomenal success, Android has faced many complications over the years. Thus, system fragmentation due to multiple versions and manufacturers’ customizations continues to complicate the distribution of security updates. The duration of software support for Android devices, often limited to two to three years, has also been criticized. We’ll come back to that a little later.
Google is trying to address these issues with initiatives like Project Treble to make updates easier, or Android One that offers a pure Android experience and faster updates on entry-level devices.
Another recurring theme is privacy and respect for GDPR. In January 2019, the National Commission for Information Technology and Liberties (Cnil) in France fined Google 50 million euros for failing to notify Android users. The investigation concluded that the users were not. “Unable to understand the extent of processing applied by Google”. The decision was confirmed by the Council of State following Google’s appeal. The first study from August 2018 already raised awareness on the topic, before another study published in 2021 caused a stir by revealing that Android collected 20 times more data than iOS!
Software support is finally on the right track.
The limited period of software support for Android devices has long been criticized. It wasn’t until recent years that we finally saw progress. For example, Samsung announced two to four years of software support for some of its models in 2020. In 2024, the same Samsung and Google have extended this period to a mere seven years for their new high-end devices, although this policy only applies to recent models. So it’s the only Galaxy S24 and Pixel 9 ranges that currently benefit from it. The manufacturer went further by promising six years of updates for its latest entry-level smartphones, the Galaxy A16 and A16 5G.
The owner of the volume
In 2024, Android is the undisputed leader in the smartphone market by volume. A GSM Association report estimated that by the end of 2022, 4.3 billion people worldwide will own smartphones. At the same time, all analysis firms, incl StatesmanAgree that Android’s market share has exceeded 70% worldwide since 2016! So without further ado we can estimate that more than 3 billion people use an Android smartphone every day.
However, with such an installed base and nearly two decades under its belt, Android is now coming clean. Innovation is beginning, even if the latest version, Android released on October 15, 2024, continues to bring improvements, especially in terms of security and optimization.
New features include Theft Detection Lock, which hides certain apps and content using Private Space to detect device theft, enhancements for foldable devices, and satellite support for mobile messaging operators. And it’s rumored that Google could break its almost ancestral rhythm of releasing a new version of its mobile operating system every 12 months to deliver Android 16 during the first half of 2025.
And in the long term, what is the future of Android? We don’t have a crystal ball, but one doesn’t really need one to predict: more and more artificial intelligence. Google has started this mad race with Gemini (and Jarvis) and started integrating it into Android, with little trolling for the moment.
But this is just the beginning and AI should occupy a good portion of the keynotes presented in future versions of the OS. For better and for worse.
