Android versions: A full time income history from 1.0 to 11
Just what a long, strange trip it has been.
Today from its inaugural discharge to, Android visually has transformed, and functionally &mdash conceptually; again and again. Google’s mobile operating-system may have began scrappy, but holy moly, has it evolved ever.
Here’s a fast-paced visit of Android edition highlights from the platform’s birth to provide. (Feel absolve to skip ahead in the event that you would like to see what’s new within Android 11.)
Android versions 1.0 to at least one 1.1: The first days
Android made its established public debut in 2008 with Google android 1.0 — a launch so historic it didn’t have even a cute codename.
Things after that were pretty basic back again, but a suite had been included by the program of early Search engines apps like Gmail, Maps, Calendar, and YouTube, which were built-into the operating-system — a stark comparison to the more easily updatable standalone-app model employed these days.
T-Mobile
The Android 1.0 home screen and its own rudimentary browser (not yet known as Chrome).
Android version 1.5: Cupcake
With early 2009’s Android 1.5 Cupcake discharge, the tradition of Android version names was created. Cupcake introduced many refinements to the Google android interface, like the first on-screen key pad — something that’d end up being necessary as mobile phones moved from the once-ubiquitous physical key pad model.
Cupcake caused the framework for third-celebration app widgets also, which would quickly become among Android’s most distinguishing components, also it provided the platform’s first-ever option for movie recording.
Android Police (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cupcake was about the widgets.
Android version 1.6: Donut
Android 1.6, Donut, rolled in to the global world in nov 2009. Donut filled in a few essential holes in Android’s middle, including the ability with regard to the OS to use on a number of different display resolutions and dimensions — one factor that’d be essential in the a long time. It also added assistance for CDMA systems like Verizon, which may play an integral function in Android’s imminent explosion.
Google
Android’s universal search container made its first look in Android 1.6.
Android versions 2.0 to 2.1: Eclair
Maintaining the breakneck release speed of Android’s early yrs, Google android 2.0 Eclair, emerged six weeks right after Donut just; its “point-one” update, called Eclair also, came out a few months afterwards. Eclair was the initial Android launch to enter mainstream awareness because of the original Motorola Droid phone and the substantial Verizon-led advertising campaign surrounding it.
Verizon’s “iDon’t” advertisement for the Droid.
The release’s most transformative element was the addition of voice-guided turn-by-turn routing and real-time traffic info — something previously unusual (and still basically unmatched) in the smartphone entire world. Navigation apart, Eclair brought reside wallpapers to Android along with the platform’s initial speech-to-text function. Also it produced waves for injecting the once-iOS-exclusive pinch-to-zoom capacity into Google android — a move usually viewed as the spark that ignited Apple’s long-lasting “thermonuclear war” against Search engines.
Google
The initial versions of turn-by-turn speech-to-text and navigation, in Eclair.
Android version 2.2: Froyo
Four months after Google android 2 just.1 arrived, Search engines served up Android 2.2, Froyo, which revolved around under-the-hood performance improvements largely.
Froyo did deliver several important front-facing functions, though, including the add-on of the now-regular dock in the bottom of the house screen and also the 1st incarnation of Voice Activities, which allowed one to perform basic features like getting instructions and producing notes by tapping an icon and speaking a command.
Google
Google’s first proper attempt at voice manage, in Froyo.
Notably, Froyo furthermore brought assistance for Flash to Android’s browser — an choice that has been significant both due to the widespread usage of Flash at that time and due to Apple’s adamant stance against supporting it alone mobile gadgets. Apple would win eventually, of course, and Flash would turn out to be less common far. But when it everywhere was nevertheless, having the ability to access the entire web without the black holes was an authentic advantage only Android can offer.
Android version 2.3: Gingerbread
Android’s first real visual identity started getting into focus with 2010’s Gingerbread release. Vivid green had always been the colour of Android’s robot mascot, sufficient reason for Gingerbread, it became a fundamental element of the working system’s look. Black and eco-friendly seeped all around the UI as Google android started its slower march toward distinctive style.
JR Raphael / IDG
It had been easy being eco-friendly in the Gingerbread times back.
Google android 3.0 to 3.2: Honeycomb
2011’s Honeycomb period has been a weird period for Android. Google android 3.0 emerged into the global globe as a tablet-only discharge to accompany the start of the Motorola Xoom, and through the next 3.1 and 3.2 updates, it remained a tablet-exclusive (and closed-supply) entity.
{Under the {assistance} of newly arrived design chief Matias Duarte, {Honeycomb introduced {a|the} reimagined UI for {Google android} dramatically.} It {experienced|got|acquired} a space-like “holographic” {style} that {exchanged} the platform’s trademark {eco-friendly} for blue and {positioned} an emphasis on {taking advantage of} a tablet’s screen {area|room}.
JR Raphael / IDG
Honeycomb: When {Google android} got {an incident} of the holographic blues.
While the {idea of} a tablet-specific interface didn’t last {lengthy}, {a lot of} Honeycomb’s ideas laid the groundwork for the Android {we realize} today. {The program} was {the first ever to} use on-screen {control keys} for Android’s {primary|major} navigational {instructions}; it marked the {start of the} {finish} for the {long term|long lasting} overflow-menu button; {{also it} introduced {the idea of} a card-like UI {using its} {undertake} the Recent Apps {listing|checklist}.|and {the idea} was introduced {because of it} of a card-like UI {using its} {undertake} the Recent Apps {listing|checklist}.}
Android version 4.0: Ice {Lotion} Sandwich
With Honeycomb acting {because the} bridge from old to new, Ice Cream Sandwich — {also {launched} in 2011 —|released {within} 2011 &mdash also;} served {because the} platform’s official {access} {in to the} era of modern {style}. The {launch|discharge} refined the {visible} concepts {launched|released|presented} with Honeycomb and reunited {pills|capsules} and phones with a single, unified UI vision.
ICS dropped {a lot of} Honeycomb’s “holographic” {look} but kept its {usage of} blue as {the} system-wide highlight. {Also it} carried over core {program} elements like on-screen {control keys} and a card-like {look} for app-switching.
JR Raphael / IDG
{The ICS {house} screen and app-switching interface.|The ICS {house} app-switching and screen interface.}
{Google android} 4.0 also made swiping {a far more} integral {supply of} around the {operating-system}, with the then-revolutionary-feeling {capability to} swipe away {things such as} notifications and {current|latest} apps. {Also it} started the {sluggish|slower|gradual} {procedure for} bringing a standardized {style} framework — known as “Holo” — all {through the entire} {Operating system} and into Android’s app ecosystem.
Android versions 4.1 to 4.3: Jelly Bean
Spread across {3} impactful Android versions, 2012 and 2013’s Jelly Bean releases took ICS’s fresh {basis|base} and {produced} meaningful strides {within} fine-tuning and {creating|constructing|developing} upon it. The releases {additional} plenty of poise and polish {in to the} {operating-system} and went {quite a distance} in making Android {a lot more} inviting for {the common} user.
Visuals {apart}, Jelly Bean {caused} our first {flavor} of Google Now — the {magnificent} predictive-intelligence utility that’s {unfortunately} since devolved {right into a} glorified news feed. {It {offered|provided} us expandable and interactive notifications,|It {offered|provided} us interactive and expandable notifications,} an expanded voice {research|lookup} system, and {a far more} advanced {program} for displaying {serp’s} in general, {with a {concentrate on} card-based results that {attemptedto} answer questions directly.|with a {concentrate on} card-based {outcomes} that attempted {right to} answer questions.}
{Multiuser support also {arrived to} play,|Multiuser support {arrived to} play,} {albeit on tablets {just} at this point,|albeit on tablets {just} {as of this} true point,} and {an early on} version of Android’s {Fast} Settings panel made {the} first {look}. Jelly Bean ushered in a {greatly|seriously} hyped system for placing widgets {on your own} lock screen, {&mdash too;} {one which}, like so many Android features over the years, {quietly disappeared {a couple of} years later.|disappeared {a couple of} years later quietly.}
JR Raphael / IDG
Jelly Bean’s Quick {Configurations} panel and short-lived lock {display|display screen} widget feature.
Android version 4.4: KitKat
Late-2013’s KitKat {launch|discharge} marked {the finish} of Android’s dark {period}, {{because the} blacks of Gingerbread and the blues of Honeycomb finally made their {way to avoid it} of the {operating-system}.|{because the} blacks of Gingerbread and the blues of Honeycomb {produced} their {way to avoid it} of the {operating-system} finally.} Lighter backgrounds {and much more} neutral highlights {required|got|had taken} their {locations|areas}, with a transparent {standing|position} bar and {whitened} icons giving the {Operating system} {a far more} contemporary appearance.
{Google android} 4.4 also {noticed} {the initial} version of “OK, {Search engines}” support — {however in} KitKat, the hands-{free of charge} activation prompt {worked well|proved helpful} {only once} your screen {had been} on and {you’re} either {your own house} screen or {in the} Google app.
The release was Google’s first foray into claiming {a complete} panel {of the house} screen {because of its} services, too — {at the very least}, for {customers} of {its} Nexus phones {and the ones} who {thought we would} download its first-ever standalone launcher.
JR Raphael / IDG
{The lightened KitKat home screen {and its own} dedicated {Search engines} Now panel.|The lightened KitKat home screen {and its own} dedicated {Search engines} panel Now.}
Android versions 5.0 and 5.1: Lollipop
{Google essentially reinvented {Google android} —|Google reinvented {Google android} &mdash essentially;} again — {using its} Android 5.0 Lollipop release in {nov} 2014. Lollipop {released} the still-present-today Material Design {regular}, which brought {a complete} new {appearance} that extended across {most of} Android, {its apps {and also} other Google products.|its apps {along with other} Google products even.}
The card-based concept {that were} scattered throughout Android became a core UI pattern — {one which} would guide {the looks} of {from} notifications, {which {right now|today} {arrived} on the lock {display|display screen} for at-a-glance access,|which {arrived} on the lock {display|display screen} for at-a-glance access {right now|today},} to the {Current|Latest} Apps list, {which {required|got|had taken} on an unabashedly card-based {look}.|which took {about|in} an card-based appearance unabashedly.}
JR Raphael / IDG
Lollipop and the {starting point} of Material Design.
Lollipop introduced {the} slew of new {functions} into {Google android}, including truly hands-free {tone of voice} control via the “{Okay}, Google” command, {assistance} for multiple {customers} on phones and {important} mode for {much better} notification {administration}. It changed so {very much}, unfortunately, that {in addition, it} introduced a {couple of} troubling bugs, {a lot of} which wouldn’t be fully ironed {away|out there} {before} following year’s 5.1 {launch|discharge}.
Android version 6.0: Marshmallow
In the grand scheme of things, 2015’s Marshmallow was {a reasonably} minor Android {launch|discharge} — {one which} seemed more {just like a|such as a} 0.1-level update than anything {worth} {a complete} number bump. {Nonetheless it} started the {pattern|tendency|craze|development} of {Search engines} releasing one major {Google android} version {each year} and that {edition} always receiving {its} whole number.
Marshmallow’s most attention-grabbing {component} was a screen-search {function} called {Right now|Today} On Tap — {a thing that}, as I said at the time, had {a great deal of} {possible} that wasn’t fully tapped. Google never {very} perfected {the machine} and {finished up} quietly retiring its {brand name} and {shifting|relocating} it {out from the|from the} forefront {the next} year.
JR Raphael / IDG
{Marshmallow and the almost-brilliance of Google on Tap Now.}
Android 6.0 did introduce some stuff with lasting impact, though, including more granular app permissions, support for fingerprint readers, and support for USB-C.
Android versions 7.0 and 7.1: Nougat
Google’s 2016 Android Nougat releases provided Android with a native split-screen mode, {a fresh} bundled-by-app system for organizing notifications, {and a Data feature Saver.} Nougat added some smaller {but nonetheless} significant features, too, like an Alt-Tab-like shortcut for snapping between apps.
JR Raphael / IDG
Android 7.0 Nougat {and its own} new native split-screen mode.
Perhaps most pivotal among Nougat’s enhancements, however, was the launch of the Google Assistant — which came alongside the announcement of Google’s first fully self-made phone, the Pixel, about {8 weeks} after Nougat’s debut. The Assistant would {continue} {to become} critical {element of} Android {& most} other Google products and is arguably {the business’s} foremost effort today.
Android version 8.0 and 8.1: Oreo
Android Oreo added {a number of} niceties to the platform, including a native picture-in-picture mode, a notification snoozing option, and notification channels {offering} fine control over how apps can alert you.
JR Raphael / IDG
Oreo adds several significant features to the {operating-system}, including {a fresh} picture-in-picture mode.
The 2017 release also included some noteworthy elements that furthered Google’s goal of aligning Android and Chrome OS and improving {the knowledge} of using Android apps on Chromebooks, {also it} was {the initial} Android version to feature Project Treble — an ambitious effort {to make a} modular base for Android’s code {with the expectation} {of earning} it easier for device-makers {to supply} timely software updates.
Android version 9: Pie
The freshly baked scent of Android Pie, a.k.a. Android 9, {wafted {in to the} Android ecosystem in August of 2018.|in August of 2018 wafted {in to the} Android ecosystem.} Pie’s most transformative change was its hybrid gesture/button navigation system, which traded Android’s traditional Back, Home, and Overview keys for {a big}, multifunctional Home button and {a little} Back button that appeared alongside it as needed.
JR Raphael/IDG
{Android 9 introduced a short-lived setup {so you can get} around phones with {a variety of} both gestures and buttons.|Android 9 introduced a short-lived setup {so you can get} around phones with {a variety of} both buttons and gestures.}
Pie included some noteworthy productivity features, too, {like a} universal suggested-reply system for messaging notifications, {a fresh} dashboard of Digital Wellbeing controls, {{and much more} intelligent systems for power and screen brightness management.|{and much more} intelligent systems for screen and power brightness management.} And, of course, {there is} no shortage of smaller but still-significant advancements hidden throughout Pie’s filling, including a smarter {solution to} handle Wi-Fi hotspots, a welcome twist to Android’s Battery Saver mode, and {a number of} privacy and security enhancements.
Android version 10
Google released Android 10 — {{the initial} Android version to shed its letter {and become} known simply by {lots},|{the initial} Android version to shed its letter {and become} known simply by {a genuine} number,} with no dessert-themed moniker attached — {september of 2019 in;} {it is the} Android version now shipping {of all} new devices, {and it’s really} {gradually} making its {solution to} existing phones {all over the world}.
The software {results in} a totally reimagined interface for Android gestures, {this time around} {eliminating} the tappable Back button altogether and {counting on} a completely swipe-driven {method of} system navigation. ({In the event that you} so choose, {that’s}; unlike Pie, Android 10 also includes {the original} Android three-button navigation system {being an} option on all phones.)
{Beneath the} hood, Android 10 introduces a new setup for hot-fix-style updates that’ll eventually {enable} faster {and much more} consistent rollouts of small, {focused patches narrowly.} And {the program} has {a lot of} other quietly important improvements, including an updated permissions system {that provides} you more control over {just how} and when apps {have the ability to} access location data {in addition to} an expanded system for protecting unique device identifiers ({which may be} used to track a device’s activity {as time passes}).
JR Raphael/IDG
Android 10’s new privacy permissions model adds some much-needed nuance {in to the} realm of location data.
Beyond that, Android 10 {carries a} system-wide dark theme, {a fresh} Focus Mode that {enables you to} limit distractions from specific apps with the tap of an on-screen button, and a long-overdue overhaul of Android’s sharing menu. {In addition, it} lays the groundwork for {a fresh} Live Caption feature that’ll {enable you to} generate on-the-fly visual captions {for just about any} media playing {on your own} phone — videos, podcasts, {as well as} just regular ol’ voice recordings — though that feature wasn’t available immediately upon the software’s launch and is {likely to} arrive {you start with} Pixel phones sometime later {this season}.
Android version 11 (Beta)
Android 11 is shaping {around} {be considered a} pretty substantial Android update both {beneath the} hood and {at first glance}. The software {premiered} as a public beta in early June and is {likely to} be finished and ready for (theoretically) widespread rollouts sometime in the late summer or early fall.
The version’s {most crucial} changes revolve around privacy: The update builds upon the expanded permissions system introduced in Android 10 and adds in {the power} for users to grant apps certain permissions — those {linked to} location access, camera access, and microphone access — only on {a restricted}, single-use basis.
JR Raphael/IDG
Android 11 {enables you to} grant an app permission to see {where you are} or access your camera or microphone {limited to} a single session {useful}.
Android 11 also pushes {the backdrop} location permission even deeper {in to the} system and {helps it be} {more challenging} for apps to request ({and therefore} {not as likely} for users to activate inadvertently). {Also it} introduces {a fresh} feature {where} apps {which have} gone unopened for a matter of months will automatically have their permissions revoked {if you don’t} actively {choose to} reauthorize them.
Beyond that, Android 11 removes an app’s {capability to} see what other apps are installed {on your own} phone — {{a thing that} was actually possible {until} this release —|{a thing that} was possible {until} this release &mdash actually;} {also it} limits the ways apps {have the ability to} interact with {your neighborhood} storage {to be able to} better protect {your details}.
Importantly but invisibly, {Android 11 {a lot more than} doubles {the amount of} once-OS-bundled elements that now exist as {their very own} standalone modules —|Android 11 {a lot more than} doubles the true {amount of} once-OS-bundled elements that now exist as {their very own} standalone modules —} like apps in the Play Store, {&mdash basically;} {and thus {could be} updated directly by Google,|{and may|and will} be updated directly by Google thus,} {frequently and universally and {with no need} {for just about any} carrier or manufacturer involvement.|frequently and and {with no need} {for just about any} carrier or manufacturer involvement universally.} {So when} for the more visible, user-facing features, {Android 11 refines {the machine} notification area to emphasize and simplify conversation-related alerts;|Android 11 refines the operational system notification area to emphasize and simplify conversation-related alerts;} it introduces {a fresh} streamlined media player {which has} controls {for several} audio- and video-playing apps {in one|within a} space; {also it} adds in {a fresh} contextual menu of connected-device controls {for just about any} smart products {connected with} your account.
{Finally|Lastly}, Android 11 marks the long-awaited debut of Bubbles — {{a fresh} {sort of} multitasking system first discussed in 2019 {but} put on {the trunk} burner until now.|{a fresh} {sort of} multitasking system first discussed in 2019 {but} {placed on} the relative back burner {as yet}.} {Once apps start supporting {the machine},|Apps start supporting {the machine} once,} Bubbles {will help you to} pop conversations ({and perhaps} {other styles} of content) out into floating windows that appear {together with} {other things that} you’re doing {and may|and will} be condensed {into} small, floating bubbles that remain {easy to get at} for expansion.
Android’s new Bubbles feature {was initially} introduced during development of Android 10 — {referred to as} “Android Q” {at that time} — {and can} finally make its public debut {with this particular} year’s Android 11 release.
Android 11 has {a lot of} other small but significant improvements, {and it’s really} possible we’ll see {a lot more} between now and the software’s final, finished form. {{The entire} release should {arrive} sometime between July and September,|Between July and September {the entire} release should {arrive} sometime,} if Google’s original timeline {is true}.
More Android nostalgia
{This article was originally published in November 2017 {& most} recently updated in June 2020.|in November 2017 {& most} recently updated in June 2020 This article was originally published.}