Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google, based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software and is designed primarily for touch screen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. In addition, Google has developed Android TV for television, Android Auto for cars, and OS Wear for watches, each with a dedicated user interface. Android variants are also used in game consoles, digital cameras, PCs, and other electronic devices.
Originally developed by Android Inc., which Google bought in 2005, Android was launched in 2007, with the first commercial Android device launched in September 2008. The operating system has passed several major releases, with the current version being 8.1 "Oreo", released on December 2017. The core Android source code is known as the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), and is primarily licensed under the Apache License.
Android is also associated with a series of proprietary software developed by Google, including core applications for services such as Gmail and Google Search, as well as Google Play's digital app and distribution platform stores and related development platforms. This app is licensed by certified Android device manufacturers based on standards imposed by Google, but AOSP has been used as the foundation of a competing Android ecosystem, such as Amazon.com's Fire OS, which leverages its own for this Google Mobile Service.
Android has become the world's best-selling smartphone on smartphones since 2011 and on tablets since 2013. As of May 2017, it has over two billion monthly active users, the largest installed base of all operating systems, and by 2017, Google Play stores more features of 3.5 million applications.
Video Android (operating system)
History
Android Inc. founded in Palo Alto, California, in October 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. Rubin described the Android project as "a tremendous potential in developing smart mobile devices that are more aware of location and owner preference." The company's initial intention was to develop a sophisticated operating system for digital cameras, and this became the basis for investors in April 2004. The company then decided that the market for cameras was not large enough for its purpose, and by five months later had shifted efforts and threw Android as a handset operating system which will rival Symbian and Microsoft Windows Mobile.
Rubin had trouble attracting investors early on, and Android faced expulsion from his office space. Steve Perlman, Rubin's close friend, gave him $ 10,000 in cash in envelopes, and soon sent undisclosed money as initial funding. Perlman rejected the stake in the company, and has stated "I do it because I believe in it, and I want to help Andy."
In July 2005, Google acquired Android Inc. with at least $ 50 million. Its primary employees, including Rubin, Miner and White, joined Google as part of the acquisition. Not much is known about Android secrets at the time, with the company already providing some details besides making software for mobile phones. At Google, a team led by Rubin develops a mobile device platform supported by the Linux kernel. Google markets the platform to handset makers and operators with the promise of providing a flexible and upgraded system. Google has "lined up a series of hardware components and software partners and signaled to operators that it was open for different levels of cooperation".
Speculation about Google's intentions to enter the mobile communications market continued to be built until December 2006. The initial prototype had a close resemblance to BlackBerry phones, with no touch screen and a physical QWERTY keyboard, but the arrival of the Apple iPhone in 2007 meant that Android "has to return to the drawing board". Google then changed the Android specification document to say that "Touchscreens will be supported", though "This product is designed with the presence of discrete physical buttons as assumptions, therefore the touch screen can not completely replace the physical button". In 2008, Nokia and BlackBerry announced touch-based smartphones to compete with the iPhone 3G, and Android's focus finally shifted to touch screens only. The first commercially available smartphone running Android is the HTC Dream, also known as T-Mobile G1, announced on September 23, 2008.
On November 5, 2007, the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of technology companies including Google, device manufacturers like HTC, Motorola and Samsung, wireless carriers such as Sprint and T-Mobile, and chipset makers like Qualcomm and Texas Instruments, launched themselves, developing "the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices". Within a year, the Open Handset Alliance faces two other open source competitors, the Symbian Foundation and LiMo Foundation, the latter also developing a Linux-based mobile operating system like Google. In September 2007, InformationWeek covered the Evalueserve study reporting that Google has filed several patent applications in the field of mobile phones.
Since 2008, Android has seen many updates that are gradually improving the operating system, adding new features and fixing bugs in previous releases. Each major release is named in alphabetical order after dessert or sugary treat, with some of the first Android versions called "Cupcake", "Donut", "Eclair", and "Froyo", in that order. During KitKat's Android announcement in 2013, Google explained that "Since this device makes our lives so sweet, every Android version is named after dessert", even though a Google spokesman told CNN in an interview that "It's like an internal team thing, and we prefer to be a little - how should I say - a little magical in this matter, I would say ".
In 2010, Google launched its Nexus device series, a line in which Google partnered with various device manufacturers to produce new devices and introduce new Android versions. The series is portrayed as having "played an important role in the history of Android by introducing new software iterations and hardware standards across the board", and became famous for "free-lump" software with "timely... updates". At a developer conference in May 2013, Google announced a special version of the Samsung Galaxy S4, where, instead of using Samsung's own Android customization, the phone runs "Android stock" and is promised to receive new system updates quickly. This device will be the beginning of the Google Play edition program, followed by other devices, including HTC One Google Play edition, and the Google Play MotoG edition. In 2015, Ars Technica wrote that "Earlier this week, the last of the Google Play edition Android phones in Google online store listed as" no longer available for sale "and that" Now everything is gone, very much like the program has closed ".
From 2008 to 2013, Hugo Barra served as a product spokesperson, representing Android at press conferences and Google I/O, a conference focused on Google's annual developers. He left Google in August 2013 to join Chinese mobile phone maker Xiaomi. Less than six months earlier, Google CEO Larry Page announced in a blog post that Andy Rubin had moved from the Android division to take on a new project on Google, and Sundar Pichai would be the new Android leader. Pichai himself will eventually switch positions, becoming the new Google CEO in August 2015 after restructuring the company into the Alphabet conglomerate, making the new head of Android Hiroshi Lockheimer.
In June 2014, Google announced Android One, a set of "hardware reference models" that would "allow [device makers] to easily create high-quality, low-cost phones" designed for consumers in developing countries. In September, Google announced the first set of Android One phones for release in India. However, Recode reported in June 2015 that the project was "disappointing", citing "reluctant consumers and manufacturing partners" and "missed goals from search firms that never solved hardware". The plan to relaunch Android One appeared in August 2015, with Africa announced as the next location for the program a week later. A report from Information in January 2017 stated that Google is expanding its cheap Android One program to the United States, although The Verge notes that the company may not produce the actual device itself.
Google introduced Pixel and Pixel XL phones in October 2016, marketed as the first phone made by Google, and exclusively featured certain software features, such as Google Assistant, before the wider launch. Pixel phones replace the Nexus series, with a new generation of Pixel phones launched in October 2017.
Maps Android (operating system)
Features
Interface
The standard user interface of Android is primarily based on direct manipulation, using touch input loosely suited to real-world actions, such as swiping, tapping, pinching and pinching upside down to manipulate objects on screen, along with a virtual keyboard. Full size game controller and physical keyboard is supported via Bluetooth or USB. Response to user input is designed to be immediate and provides a fluid touch interface, often using the vibration capabilities of the device to provide haptic feedback to users. Internal hardware, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and proximity sensors are used by some applications to respond to additional user actions, such as adjusting the screen from portrait to landscape depending on how the device is oriented, or allowing users to drive vehicles in racing games by rotating devices, steering control.
Android devices boot to the homescreen, main navigation and "hub" information on Android devices, analogous to the desktop found on personal computers. Android homescreens usually consist of app icons and widgets; the app icon launches the associated app, while the widget displays live content, automatic updates, such as weather forecast, user email inbox, or news ticker directly on the homescreen. Homescreen can consist of multiple pages, where users can swipe back and forth. Third-party apps available on Google Play and other app stores can extensively rearrange homescreen, and even mimic the look of other operating systems, such as Windows Phone. Most manufacturers customize the look and features of their Android devices to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
Along the top of the screen is the status bar, which displays information about the device and its connectivity. This status bar can be "pulled" down to display a notification screen where the app displays important information or updates. Notifications are "timely, relevant, and relevant information about your app when not in use", and when tapped, users are directed to the screen within the app associated with the notification. Starting with Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean", "expandable notifications" allows users to tap on the notification icon to expand and display more information and possible app actions directly from notifications.
The All Apps screen lists all installed applications, with the ability for the user to drag the app from the list to the home screen. The Recent Screen lets users switch between recently used apps.
Apps
Applications ("apps"), which extend device functionality, are written using Android software development tools (SDKs) and, often, Java programming languages. Java can be combined with C/C, along with a non-default runtime option that enables better C support. The Go programming language is also supported, albeit with a limited set of application programming interfaces (APIs). In May 2017, Google announced support for Android application development in the Kotlin programming language.
The SDK includes a comprehensive set of development tools, including debuggers, software libraries, QEMU-based handset emulators, documentation, sample codes, and tutorials. Initially, Google's proprietary integrated development environment (IDE) is Eclipse using the Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin; in December 2014, Google released Android Studio, based on IntelliJ IDEA, as its primary IDE for Android app development. Other development tools available, including native development kits (NDKs) for apps or extensions in C or C, Google App Inventor, visual environment for beginner programmers, and various mobile cross platform web application frameworks. In January 2014, Google launched a framework based on Apache Cordova to port Chrome HTML 5 web apps to Android, wrapped in a native app shell.
Android has a growing selection of third-party apps that users can download and install app APK files (Android app packages), or by downloading them using an app store program that allows users to install, update and delete apps from their devices. Google Play Store is the main app store installed on Android devices that comply with Google's compatibility requirements and license Google Mobile Services software. Google Play Store allows users to search, download and update apps published by Google and third-party developers; as of July 2013, there are over a million apps available for Android on the Play Store. As of July 2013, 50 billion applications have been installed. Some carriers offer direct carrier billing for Google Play app purchases, where app charges are added to the user's monthly charges. Starting May 2017, there are more than one billion active users per month for Gmail, Android, Chrome, Google Play, and Maps.
Due to the open nature of Android, a number of third-party app markets also exist for Android, both to provide a replacement for devices not allowed to ship with the Google Play Store, providing apps that can not be offered on the Google Play Store due to policy violations, or for other reasons. Examples of these third-party stores include Amazon Appstore, GetJar, and SlideMe. F-Droid, another alternative market, just wants to provide apps that are distributed under open source licenses and for free.
Memory management
Since Android devices are usually battery-powered, Android is designed to manage processes to keep power consumption to a minimum. When an application is not in use, the system suspends operations so that, while available for direct use rather than closed, it does not use battery power or CPU resources. Android manages applications that are stored in memory automatically: when memory is low, the system will start invisibly and shut down the inactive process automatically, starting with the inactive for the longest time. Lifehacker reported in 2011 that third-party killer task apps are more harm than good.
Hardware
The main hardware platforms for Android are ARM (ARMv7 and ARMv8-A architectureures), with x86, MIPS and MIPS64 architectures, and x86-64 also officially supported in newer Android versions. The unofficial Android-x86 project provides support for the x86 architecture before official support. MIPS architecture is also supported before Google support. Since 2012, Android devices with Intel processors are starting to appear, including phones and tablets. While getting support for the 64-bit platform, Android was first built to run on 64-bit x86 and later on ARM64. Since Android 5.0 "Lollipop", 64-bit variants of all platforms are supported in addition to the 32-bit variant.
Requirements for the minimum amount of RAM for devices running Android 7.1 ranges from within the 2 GB practice for best hardware, up to 1 GB for the most common screen, up to an absolute 512 MB minimum for the 32-bit smartphone's lowest specs. The recommendation for Android 4.4 is to have at least 512 MB of RAM, while for "low RAM" devices, 340 MB is the minimum required number that does not include dedicated memory for various hardware components such as baseband processors. Android 4.4 requires an ARMv7, MIPS, or x86 32-bit architecture processor (most recently through unauthorized ports), along with a compatible OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics processing unit (GPU). Android supports OpenGL ES 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1 and as the latest major versions, 3.2 and since Android 7.0 Vulkan (and version 1.1 is available for some devices). Some applications explicitly require a specific version of OpenGL ES, and the appropriate GPU hardware is required to run the application.
Android devices incorporate many optional hardware components, including still cameras or video cameras, GPS, orientation sensors, special game controls, accelerometers, gyroscopes, barometers, magnetometers, proximity sensors, pressure sensors, thermometers, and touch screens. Some hardware components are not required, but they are standard in certain device classes, such as smartphones, and additional requirements apply if applicable. Some other hardware is initially required, but the requirements have been loosened or eliminated altogether. For example, when Android was originally developed as a mobile OS, hardware like a microphone was required, while over time the phone functionality became optional. Android is used to require an autofocus camera, which is loosened to fixed focus cameras if any, as the camera is dropped as a complete requirement when Android starts to be used in the set-top box.
In addition to running on smartphones and tablets, some vendors run Android natively on a regular PC hardware with a keyboard and mouse. In addition to its availability on commercially available hardware, a convenient, free version of compatible PC hardware is available from the Android-x86 project, including Android 4.4 customized. Using Android emulators that are part of the Android SDK, or third-party emulators, Android can also run non-natively on x86 architectures. Chinese companies are building PCs and mobile operating systems, based on Android, to "compete directly with Microsoft Windows and Google Android". The Chinese Engineering Academy noted that "more than a dozen" companies adjusted Android after the Chinese ban on the use of Windows 8 on government PCs.
Development
Android was developed by Google until the latest updates and updates are ready to be released, at which point the source code is available for Android Open Source Project (AOSP), an open source initiative led by Google. AOSP code can be found without modifications to certain devices, especially Nexus and Pixel series devices. The source code, in turn, is adapted and adapted by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to run on their hardware. Also, the Android source code does not contain the often patented device drivers needed for certain hardware components. As a result, most Android devices, including Google's, are eventually delivered with a combination of free and open source software, with the software required to access Google services that fall into the latter category.
Update schedule
Google announced a gradual increase to Android on an annual basis. Updates can be installed on over-the-air devices. The latest major release is 8.0 "Oreo", announced in March 2017, and released in August next.
Compared to its main rival mobile operating system, Apple's iOS, Android updates typically reach a variety of devices with significant delays. Except for devices in the Google Nexus and Pixel brands, updates often come several months after the release of a new version, or not at all. This is partly due to the wide variety of hardware on Android devices, where each upgrade should be specifically tailored, time consuming process and resources. Manufacturers often prioritize their latest devices and leave the old ones behind. Additional delays can be introduced by wireless carriers who, after receiving updates from manufacturers, further customize and brand Android for their needs and conduct extensive testing on their networks before sending upgrades to users. There are also situations where an increase is not possible because one manufacturing partner does not provide the necessary updates to drivers.
Widespread hardware variations on Android devices cause significant delays for software upgrades, with new versions of operating systems and security patches that typically take months before reaching consumers, or sometimes not at all. The lack of after-sales support from producers and operators has been heavily criticized by consumer groups and the media. Some commentators have noted that industry has financial incentives not to upgrade their devices, because lack of updates to existing devices sparked more recent purchases, an attitude described as "insulting". The Guardian complains that the distribution method for updates is complicated simply because manufacturers and operators have designed it that way. In 2011, Google partnered with a number of industry players to announce the "Android Renewal Alliance", promising to provide timely updates to each device for 18 months after its release; However, there has been no other official word about the alliance since its announcement.
In 2012, Google began to separate certain aspects of the operating system (especially its core apps) so they can be updated through the Google Play store separately from the OS. One such component, Google Play Services, is a closed-source system-level process that provides APIs for Google services, which are installed automatically on almost any device running Android 2.2 "Froyo" and higher. With this change, Google may add new system functionality through the Play Service and update the app without having to distribute the upgrade to the operating system itself. As a result, Android 4.2 and 4.3 "Jelly Bean" contains relatively fewer user-facing changes, focusing on small changes and platform upgrades.
In May 2016, Bloomberg reported that Google is making efforts to keep Android up-to-date, including speeding up security updates, launching technology solutions, reducing requirements for phone testing, and mobile phone maker ratings. in an attempt to "shame" them into better behavior. As stated by Bloomberg : "As smartphones become more capable, complex and hackable, having the latest software work closely with increasingly important hardware". Hiroshi Lockheimer, the Android leader, admits that "This is not an ideal situation", further commenting that the lack of updates is "the weakest link on security on Android". Wireless carriers are described in the report as "the most challenging discussion", due to slow operator approval time due to testing on their networks, although some operators, including Verizon and Sprint, have shortened their respective time of approval. Jason Mackenzie, then CEO, calls the monthly security update "unrealistic" by 2015, and Google is trying to persuade operators to exclude security patches from complete testing procedures. In a further effort for persuasion, Google shares a list of top phone makers as measured by updated devices with its Android partners, and is considering making the list public. Mike Chan, founder of the Nextbit mobile phone manufacturer and former Android developer, said that "The best way to solve this problem is to reorganize the large operating system", "or Google can invest in training producers and operators" to become a good Android citizen ".
In May 2017, with the announcement of Android 8.0, Google introduced Project Treble, the main architect of the Android OS framework designed to make it easier, faster, and cheaper for manufacturers to update devices to newer versions of Android. Project Treble separates vendor implementations (devices, lower-level software written by silicon manufacturers) from the Android OS framework through the new "vendor interface". In Android 7.0 and earlier, there is no official vendor interface, so device builders should update most of the Android code to move the device to a newer operating system version. With Treble, the new stable vendor interface provides access to Android-specific hardware parts, enabling device makers to deliver new Android releases simply by updating the Android OS framework, "without any additional work required from silicon manufacturers."
In September 2017, Google's Project Treble team revealed that, as part of their efforts to improve the Android device's security lifecycle, Google has managed to get the Linux Foundation to agree to extend the support life cycle of Linux Kernel's Long Term Support (LTS) branch from 2 years which historically lasted up to 6 years for future versions of the LTS kernel, starting with the Linux 4.4 kernel.
Linux kernel
The Android kernel is based on one of the long-term Linux kernel support branches (LTS). By 2017, Android devices primarily use version 3.18 or 4.4 of the Linux kernel. The actual kernel depends on each device.
Android variants of the Linux kernel have further architectural changes applied by Google outside the Linux kernel development cycle, such as the inclusion of components such as device tree, ashmem, ION, and different memory handling (OOM). Certain features that Google contributes back to the Linux kernel, especially the power management feature called "wakelocks", were initially rejected by the main kernel developers in part because they felt that Google did not indicate the intention to maintain the code itself. Google announced in April 2010 that it would hire two employees to work with the Linux kernel community, but Greg Kroah-Hartman, the current manager of the Linux kernel for a stable branch, said in December 2010 that he was worried that Google was no longer trying to get a change Their code is included in mainstream Linux. Google engineer Patrick Brady once stated at the company's developer conference that "Android is not Linux", with Computerworld adding that "Let me make it simple for you, without Linux, no Android". Ars Technica writes that "Although Android is built on the Linux kernel, this platform has very little in common with conventional desktop Linux piles".
In August 2011, Linus Torvalds said that "eventually Android and Linux will go back to the public kernel, but probably not for four to five years". In December 2011, Greg Kroah-Hartman announced the commencement of Android Mainlining Project, which aims to put some Android drivers, patches and features back into the Linux kernel, starting on Linux 3.3. Linux includes autosleep and wakelocks capabilities in the 3.5 kernel, after many previous merger attempts. The same interface but upstream Linux implementation allows for two different suspend modes: into memory (traditional suspension using Android), and to disk (hibernate, as it is known on desktop). Google maintains a public code repository containing their experimental work to underlie Android from the latest stable Linux version.
Flash storage on Android devices is divided into multiple partitions, such as /system for the operating system itself, and /data for user data and application installations. Unlike desktop Linux distributions, Android device owners are not granted root access to the operating system and sensitive partitions such as/read-only systems. However, root access can be obtained by exploiting security vulnerabilities in Android, which is often used by the open-source community to improve the capabilities of their devices, but also by malicious parties to install viruses and malware.
Android is a Linux distribution under the Linux Foundation, Google's open source head Chris DiBona, and several journalists. Others, such as Google's engineer Patrick Brady, say that Android is not Linux in terms of traditional Linux distributions like Unix; Android does not include the GNU C Library (using Bionic as an alternative C library) and some other components that are usually found in Linux distributions.
With the release of Android Oreo in 2017, Google began requiring devices shipped with the new SoC to have a version 4.4 or newer Linux kernel, for security reasons. Existing device upgraded to Oreo, and new product launched with older SoC, exempt from this rule.
Software stack
On top of the Linux kernel, there are middleware, libraries and APIs written in C, and application software running on an application framework that includes Java-compatible libraries. The development of the Linux kernel continues independently of other Android source code projects.
Up to version 5.0, Android uses Dalvik as a virtual process engine with just-in-time trace compilation (JIT) to run Dalvik "dex-code" (Dalvik Executable), which is usually translated from Java bytecode. Following the trace-based JIT principle, in addition to interpreting most application code, Dalvik performs the original compilation and execution of frequently executed code segments ("traces") each time the app is launched. Android 4.4 introduces Android Runtime (ART) as a new runtime environment, which uses forward compilation (AOT) to fully compile bytecode applications to machine code during application installation. On Android 4.4, ART is an experimental feature and is not enabled by default; this becomes the only runtime option in the next major Android version, 5.0.
For its Java library, the Android platform uses part of the now-stopped Apache Harmony project. In December 2015, Google announced that the next Android version will switch to Java implementation based on the OpenJDK project.
The standard Android C library, Bionic, was developed by Google specifically for Android, as a derivative of the standard BSD C library code. Bionic itself has been designed with some key features specific to the Linux kernel. The main benefit of using Bionic over the GNU C Library (glibc) or uClibc is a smaller runtime trace, and optimization for low frequency CPUs. At the same time, Bionic is licensed under the terms of the BSD license, which Google finds more suitable for the overall Android licensing model.
Aiming to different licensing models, by the end of 2012, Google switches Bluetooth stack on Android from BlueZdroid GPL licensed to Apache-licensed BlueDroid.
Android does not have the original X Window System by default, nor does it support the full set of standard GNU libraries. This makes it difficult to port existing Linux applications or libraries to Android, until the r5 version of the Android Native Development Kit brings support for fully written applications in C or C. Libraries written in C can also be used in applications with small shim shots and use of JNI.
Since Marshmallow, "Toybox", a collection of command line utilities (mostly for use by apps, since Android does not provide a command-line interface by default), replaces similar "Toolbox" collections.
Android has another operating system, Trusty OS, in it, as part of the "Safe" software component that supports the Trusted Implementation Environment (TEE) on mobile devices. "" Trusty and the Trusty API may change. [..] Applications for Trusty OS can be written in C/C (limited C support), and they have access to a small C library. [...] All Secure apps are single-threaded; multithreading in trustedy userspace is not currently supported. [..] The development of third-party applications is not supported in "current versions, and software running on the OS and processors for that, run" DRM framework for protected content. [..] There are many other uses for TEE such as mobile payments, secure banking, full disk encryption, multi-factor authentication, device reset protection, continuous playback protected playback, wireless view ("cast") of content protected, secure PIN and fingerprint processing, and even malware detection. "
Open source community
Android's source code released by Google under open source licenses, and its open nature has prompted a large community of developers and fans to use open source code as a foundation for community-driven projects, providing updates to older devices, adding new features for advanced users or bring Android to devices originally shipped with other operating systems. This community-developed release often brings new features and updates to devices faster than through authorized carrier/carrier channels, with comparable levels of quality; provide advanced support for older devices that no longer receive official updates; or bring Android to devices officially released running other operating systems, such as HP TouchPad. Community releases are often rooted and contain modifications not provided by the original vendor, such as the ability to overclock or over/undervolt the device processor. CyanogenMod is the most widely used community firmware, now stopped and replaced by LineageOS.
Historically, device manufacturers and mobile operators typically do not support the development of third-party devices. The manufacturer expressed concern about the undue function of the device running the unofficial software and the support costs generated from this. In addition, modified firmware such as CyanogenMod sometimes offers features, such as withdrawals, which the operator will charge an additional fee. As a result, technical barriers including locked bootloaders and limited access to root permissions are common in many devices. However, since community-developed software has become more popular, and following a statement by Congress Librarians in the United States that enables jailbreaks of mobile devices, manufacturers and operators have softened their position regarding third-party development, with some, including HTC, Motorola , Samsung and Sony, provide support and drive development. As a result, over time, the need to avoid hardware restrictions to install unofficial firmware has been reduced as more devices are shipped with unlocked or unlockable bootloaders, similar to the Nexus phone series, although it usually requires users to dismiss their devices' warranties to do it. However, regardless of the manufacturer's acceptance, some US carriers still require mobile phones to be locked, frustrating developers and customers.
Security and privacy
The scope of supervision by public institutions
As part of the broader scrutiny of mass surveillance in 2013, it was revealed in September 2013 that American and British intelligence agencies, National Security Agency (NSA) and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), respectively, have access to user data on iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android devices. They are reportedly able to read almost all smartphone information, including SMS, location, email, and notes. In January 2014, further reports revealed the ability of intelligence agencies to intercept personal information transmitted over the Internet by social networks and other popular applications such as Angry Birds , which collect personal information from their users for commercials and commercial reasons others. GCHQ has, according to The Guardian , wiki style guides from different applications and advertising networks, and different data that can be inserted from each. Later that week, Finnish Angry Birds developer Rovio announced that they are reconsidering their relationship with their advertising platform in light of this revelation, and called on the wider industry to do the same.
The documents reveal further efforts by intelligence agencies to intercept Google Maps searches and requests sent from Android and other smartphones to gather location information in bulk. The NSA and GCHQ affirm that their activities comply with all relevant domestic and international laws, although the Guardian states "recent disclosures may also add to public concerns about how the technology sector collects and uses information, especially for those outside the US, who enjoy privacy protection less than Americans. "
Leaked documents published by WikiLeaks, codenamed Vault 7 and dated from 2013-2016, describe the ability of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct electronic surveillance and cyber warfare, including the ability to compromise most smartphone operating systems (including Android).
General security threats
Research from security firm Trend Micro lists the misuse of premium services as the most common type of Android malware, where text messages are sent from infected phones to premium phone numbers without the consent or even user knowledge. Other malware displays unwanted and intrusive ads on the device, or sends personal information to unauthorized third parties. The security threats on Android are reported to grow exponentially; However, Google engineers argue that malware and virus threats on Android are exaggerated by security firms for commercial reasons, and accuse the security industry of playing a fear of selling virus protection software to users. Google claims that malicious malware is actually very rare, and surveys conducted by F-Secure show that only 0.5% of reported Android malware comes from the Google Play store.
In August 2015, Google announced that devices in the Google Nexus series will begin receiving monthly security patches. Google also wrote that "Nexus devices will continue to receive major updates for at least two years and security patches for more than three years from initial availability or 18 months from the most recent sale of devices through the Google Store." In October next, researchers at Cambridge University concluded that 87.7% of used Android phones have known security vulnerabilities but have not been patched due to lack of updates and support. Ron Amadeo of Ars Technica wrote in August 2015 that "Android was originally designed, above all, to be widely adopted." Google started from zero with zero percent market share, so it was happy to give control and gives everyone a seat at the table instead of adoption. [...] Now, though, Android has around 75-80 percent of the smartphone market worldwide - making it not just the world's most popular mobile operating system but arguably an operating system that most popular, periods, so security has become a big problem.Android still uses a redesigned software update chain when the Android ecosystem has a zero device to update, and that does not work. " Following Google's monthly newsletter, some manufacturers, including Samsung and LG, promised to issue monthly security updates, but, as Jerry Hildenbrand noted on Android Central in February 2016, "instead we got some updates on certain versions of a handful of small models and many broken promises ".
In a March 2017 post on Google Security Blog, Android security led Adrian Ludwig and Mel Miller wrote that "More than 735 million devices from 200 manufacturers received platform security updates in 2016" and that "Our operators and hardware partners helped expand the deployment of this update , releasing updates for more than half of the top 50 devices worldwide in the last quarter of 2016 ". They also wrote that "About half of the devices used at the end of 2016 have not received platform security updates in the previous year", stating that their work will continue to focus on simplifying the security update program for easier deployment by manufacturers. Furthermore, in comments for TechCrunch , Ludwig stated that the waiting time for security updates has been reduced from "six to nine weeks to just a few days", with 78% of North American flagship devices being the latest on security end of 2016.
Patches for bugs found in core operating systems often do not reach older and lower valued device users. However, the open-source nature of Android allows security contractors to take on existing devices and customize them for very safe use. For example, Samsung has worked with General Dynamics through their acquisition of Open Kernel Labs to rebuild Jelly Bean above the hardened microvisor for the "Knox" project.
Android smartphones have the ability to report the location of Wi-Fi access points, encountered as mobile phone users, to build databases containing the physical location of hundreds of millions of access points. This database forms an electronic map to search for smartphones, enabling them to run applications like Foursquare, Google Latitude, Facebook Places, and to deliver location based advertising. Third party monitoring software such as TaintDroid, an academically funded research project, can, in some cases, detect when personal information is sent from the application to the remote server.
Technical security features
The Android app runs in a sandbox, an isolated area of ​​a system that does not have access to other system resources, unless explicit permissions are granted by the user when the app is installed, but this may not be possible before installing the app. It is impossible, for example, to turn off camera microphone access already installed without completely shutting down the camera. This is true also on Android versions 7 and 8.
Since February 2012, Google has used Google Bouncer's malware scanner to monitor and scan apps available in the Google Play store. The "Verify Apps" feature was introduced in November 2012, as part of the Android 4.2 "Jelly Bean" operating system version, to scan all apps, both from Google Play and from third-party sources, for malicious behavior. Initially only done so during installation, Application Verification received updates in 2014 to "constantly" scan apps, and by 2017 this feature is visible to users through the menu in Settings.
Before installing the app, the Google Play store displays a list of requirements that the app needs to work with. After reviewing this permission, users can choose to accept or reject it, installing the app only if they accept it. In Android 6.0 "Marshmallow", the permission system is changed; the application is no longer automatically granted all the permissions specified at the time of installation. Opt-in systems are used instead, where users are asked to grant or deny individual permissions for an app when they are needed for the first time. The app remembers the grant, which can be revoked by the user at any time. Pre-installed applications, however, are not always part of this approach. In some cases, it is not possible to deny certain permissions to pre-installed apps, nor is it possible to disable them. The Google Play Services app can not be uninstalled, or disabled. Any forced termination attempt causes the app to restart. The new licensing model is only used by applications developed for Marshmallow using its software development kit (SDK), and older applications will continue to use the previous all-or-nothing approach. Permissions can still be revoked for the app, although this might prevent it from functioning correctly, and warnings are shown for that effect.
In September 2014, Jason Nova of the Android Authority reported on a study by German security firm Fraunhofer AISEC in antivirus software and malware threats on Android. Nova writes that "The Android operating system deals with software packages by sandboxing them: it does not allow applications to list other application directory contents to keep the system secure.By not allowing antivirus to create a list of other app directories after installation, apps that do not shows the suspicious behavior inherent when downloaded will be safe.If later on the part of the application is turned on that turned out to be dangerous, the antivirus will not know because it is in the application and out of the antivirus 'jurisdiction'. Study by Fraunhofer AISEC, examine antivirus software from Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, ESET, F-Secure, Kaspersky, Lookout, McAfee (formerly Intel Security), Norton, Sophos, and Trend Micro, revealing that "the tested antivirus application does not provide protection against specific malware or targeted attacks ", and that" a proven antivirus application also can not detect malware that is completely unknown to date but does not attempt to hide its malignancy ".
In August 2013, Google announced Android Device Manager (renamed Find My Device in May 2017), a service that lets users remotely locate, find and wipe their Android devices, with the Android app for services released in December. In December 2016, Google introduced the Trusted Contacts app, enabling users to request tracking the location of loved ones during an emergency.
License
The source code for Android is open-source: developed personally by Google, with source code released publicly when a new Android version is released. Google publishes most of the code (including network and phone stacks) under the non-copyleft 2.0 Apache License. which allows modification and redistribution. Licenses do not grant rights to "Android" trademarks, so device manufacturers and wireless carriers must provide licenses from Google under an individual contract. The corresponding Linux kernel changes are released under the GNU General Public License version 2 copyleft license, developed by the Open Handset Alliance, with the source code publicly available at all times. Typically, Google collaborates with hardware manufacturers to produce flagship devices (part of the Nexus series) featuring new versions of Android, then make source code available after the device is released. The only Android release that was not immediately made available as source code is a tablet 3.0 release Honeycomb only. The reason, according to Andy Rubin in the official Android blog post, is because Honeycomb is rushed to Motorola Xoom's production, and they do not want third parties to create "a very bad user experience" by trying to use a smartphone version of Android intended for tablets.
Only basic Android operating systems (including some apps) are open source software, whereas most Android devices deliver large amounts of proprietary software, such as Google Mobile Services, which include apps like Google Play Store, Google Search, and Google Play Services - layers software that provides the API for integration with services provided by Google, among others. This app must be licensed from Google by device manufacturers, and may only be delivered on devices that meet compatibility guidelines and other terms. Productive and certified distributions from Android produced by manufacturers (such as TouchWiz and HTC Sense) can also replace certain Android stock apps with their own proprietary variants and add additional software that is not included in the stock Android operating system. There may also be a "binary blob" driver required for certain hardware components in the device.
Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation have been critical of Android and have recommended the use of alternatives such as Replicants, as drivers and firmware essential to the functioning of Android devices are usually proprietary, and because the Google Play Store app can be force-installed or remove applications and, as a result , inviting non-free software; although the Free Software Foundation has not found Google to use it for malicious reasons.
Leverage more than manufacturer
Google licenses their Google Mobile Services software, together with an Android trademark, only to hardware manufacturers for devices that meet the Google compatibility standards specified in the Android Compatibility Program document. Thus, the Android fork that makes major changes to the operating system itself does not include the non-free component of Google, remains incompatible with applications that need it, and must be shipped with alternative software markets instead of the Google Play Store. Examples of Android forks are the Amazon Fire OS (used on the Kindle Fire tablet line, and oriented on Amazon services), Nokia X Software Platform (a fork used by the Nokia X family, oriented primarily on Nokia and Microsoft services). ), and other forks that exclude Google apps due to the unavailability of Google services generally in certain regions (such as China). In 2014, Google also began requiring that all Android devices licensing Google Mobile Services software display the prominent "Powered Android" logo on their boot screens. Google has also enforced bundling and special placement of Google Mobile Services on the device, including mandatory bundling of the entire main suite of Google apps, and shortcuts to Google Search and the Play Store app must be on or near the home screen page in its default configuration.
Some apps and stock components in the AOSP code previously used by earlier versions of Android, such as Search, Music, Calendar, and location APIs, are left by Google to replace the non-free replacements distributed through the Play Store (Google Search, Google Play Music and Google Calendar) and Google Play Services, which are no longer open sourced. In addition, open-source variants of some apps also exclude existing functions in their non-free versions, such as Photosphere panoramas in Camera, and Google Now pages on default home screen (exclusively for proprietary version of "Google Now Launcher", whose code embedded in major Google apps). These steps tend to be intended to prevent forks, as more core operating system functions (and, in turn, third party software), rely on proprietary components exclusively licensed by Google, and that will require significant development resources to develop an alternative software suite and API to replicate or replace it. Applications that do not use Google components will also experience functional losses, as they can only use the APIs within the OS itself.
In March 2018, it was reported that Google had begun blocking "non-certified" Android devices from utilizing Google Mobile Services software, and displaying a warning indicating that "device manufacturers have loaded Google apps and services without certification from Google". Custom ROM users can register their device ID into their Google account to remove this block.
Members of the Open Handset Alliance, which includes the majority of Android OEMs, are also banned contractually from producing Android devices based on OS forks; in 2012, Acer Inc. forced by Google to stop production on devices supported by Aliyun OS Alibaba Group with threats of removal from the OHA, as Google considers the platform an incompatible version of Android. Alibaba Group defended the allegations, arguing that the OS is a different platform than Android (primarily using HTML5 apps), but incorporates parts of the Android platform to allow backwards compatibility with third-party Android software. Indeed, devices ship with app stores that offer Android apps; However, the majority of them are pirated.
Reception
Android received a lukewarm reaction when it was unveiled in 2007. Although analysts are impressed with a respected technology company that has partnered with Google to form the Open Handset Alliance, it is unclear whether mobile phone manufacturers will want to replace their operating system with Android. The idea of ​​an open source Linux-based development platform sparked interest, but there are additional concerns about Android facing strong competition from established players in the smartphone market, such as Nokia and Microsoft, and rival Linux operating systems that are under development. These established players are skeptical: Nokia quoted saying "we do not see this as a threat," and a member of the Microsoft Windows Mobile team stated "I do not understand the impact they will have."
Since then Android has evolved into the most widely used smartphone operating system and "one of the fastest mobile experiences available". Reviewers have highlighted the open-source nature of the operating system as one of the decisive forces, enabling companies such as Nokia (Nokia X family), Amazon (Kindle Fire), Barnes & amp; Noble (Nook), Ouya, Baidu, and others to create software and release hardware that runs their own customized Android version. As a result, this has been described by the Ars Technica technology website as "practically the default operating system for launching new hardware" for companies without their own mobile platform. This openness and flexibility is also present at the end user level: Android allows an owner's extensive customization of devices and apps available for free from non-Google app stores and third-party websites. It has been cited as one of the main advantages of Android phones over the others.
Despite Android's popularity, including the three-time activation rate of iOS, there are reports that Google has not been able to leverage their other web products and services successfully to turn Android into a money maker that analysts expect. The Verge recommends that Google lose control over Android due to the sheer number of adjustments and the proliferation of non-Google apps and services - the Amazon Kindle Fire line uses Fire OS, an Android modification fork that does not include or support any of Google's components, and requires users to get software from the competing Amazon Appstore rather than the Play Store. In 2014, in an effort to increase the brand advantage of Android, Google began requiring devices featuring its proprietary components to display the Android logo on the boot screen.
Android has suffered from "fragmentation", a situation where various Android devices, both in terms of hardware variations and the differences in software running on them, make the task of developing applications that work consistently across louder ecosystems than rival platforms like iOS in where hardware and software are fewer. For example, according to data from OpenSignal in July 2013, there are 11,868 Android device models, many different screen sizes and eight versions of the Android OS being used together, while most iOS users have been upgraded to the latest iterations of the OS. Critics such as Apple Insider have asserted that fragmentation through hardware and software pushes Android growth through a large number of low end devices, devices with budgets that run older Android versions. They maintain this forces the Android developers to write for "lowest lowest denominator" to reach as many users as possible, who have too few incentives to use the latest hardware or software features available only on a smaller percentage of devices. However, OpenSignal, which develops both Android and iOS apps, concludes that although fragmentation can make development more complicated, the wider Android global reach also increases potential rewards.
Research firm Canalys estimates in the second quarter of 2009, that Android has a 2.8% share of smartphone shipments worldwide. In May 2010, Android had a 10% share of the smartphone market worldwide, overtaking Windows Mobile, while in US Android controlled 28% of the shares, beating the iPhone OS. In the fourth quarter of 2010, its worldwide market share has grown to 33% of the market becoming the best-selling smartphone platform, following Symbian. In the US became the best-selling platform in April 2011, overtaking BlackBerry OS with 31.2% smartphone share, according to comScore .
In the third quarter of 2011, Gartner estimated that more than half (52.5%) of Android smartphone sales. In the third quarter of 2012 Android has 75% global smartphone market share according to research firm IDC.
In July 2011, Google said that 550,000 Android devices are being activated every day, up from 400,000 per day in May, and over 100 million devices have been activated with 4.4% growth per week. As of September 2012, 500 million devices have been activated with 1.3 million activations per day. In May 2013, at Google I/O, Sundar Pichai announced that 900 million Android devices had been activated.
Android market share varies by location. As of July 2012, "mobile customers aged 13" in the United States are using Android up 52%, and up to 90% in China. During the third quarter of 2012, Android smartphone shipping market share worldwide was 75%, with 750 million devices activated in total. In April 2013 Android has 1.5 million activations per day. As of May 2013, 48 billion apps ("apps") have been installed from the Google Play store, and by September 2013, one billion Android devices have been enabled.
As of February 2017, the Google Play store has more than 2.7 million Android apps published, and In May 2016, the app has been downloaded more than 65 billion times. The success of the operating system has made it a target of patent litigation as part of the so-called "smartphone war" between technology companies.
Android device accounts for more than half of smartphone sales in most markets, including the US, while "only in Japan is Apple on top" (September-November 2013 figures). By the end of 2013, more than 1.5 billion Android smartphones have been sold in four years since 2010, making Android the most sold mobile phone and tablet OS. Three billion Android smartphones are expected to be sold by the end of 2014 (including previous years). According to research firm Gartner, Android-based devices beat all competitors, every year since 2012. In 2013, it sold more expensive Windows 2.8: 1 or 573 million. By 2015, Android has the largest installed base of all operating systems; Since 2013, devices running it also sell more than a mix of Windows, iOS, and Mac OS® devices.
According to StatCounter, which only tracks usage for web browsing, Android is the most popular mobile operating system since August 2013. Android is the most popular operating system for web browsing in India and several other countries (eg almost all of Asia, with Japanese and North Korean Exceptions). According to StatCounter, Android is most often used in mobile phones in all African countries, and states "mobile usage has gone beyond desktops in several countries including India, South Africa and Saudi Arabia", with almost all countries in Africa doing so (except for seven countries, including Egypt), such as Ethiopia and Kenya where mobile use (including tablets) is 90.46% (Android only, accounting for 75.81% of all usage there).
Although Android phones in the Western world generally include Google add-ons (like Google Play) to open source operating systems, this is getting worse
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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