For all science fiction aficionados out there an “Android” is a robot with human features. There are countless books and movies on the subject, some of which have captured the collective imagination. Robocop comes to mind as one of the most widely known “androids” to make it big in Hollywood and the more recent, huge commercial success of “Transformers” has sealed the image of these machines with human features and feelings as very popular heroes.
But, apart from the Hollywood movies, this Sci-Fi term is today being made mainstream and part of everyone’s vocabulary by yet another Google creation and global success: the Android “software stack” for mobile phones. Indeed, despite the general perception that “Android” is actually a type of smart phone or a touch pad, it is important to understand that “Android” actually defines the various layers of operating software running on a plethora of different mobile devices.
This is an important distinction because not all hardware devices are created equal and the huge number of choices made available today could cause the unprepared buyer a great deal of uncertainty caused by misinformation or, on the other end of the spectrum, information overload. Basically, to use one of those geeky buzz words, Android can be defined as an “open source” mobile operating system. In simple terms, this means that it is basically free and can be layered or stripped down and customized according to the needs and preferences of each individual hardware manufacturer.
This has brought to market a huge array of Android powered smart phones and tablets, each with different capabilities and features. Each with the ability to be further customized to fit the needs of almost every discerning mobile technology user. Furthermore, the tremendous adoption rate has been made possible by leveraging and mobilizing one of the most successful features of the ubiquitous Linux operating system: the ability to access and install with the push of a button a great number of free and paid applications from a cloud location which, in the mobile universe, is today commonly known as an “App Market” or “App Store” in case you are more familiar with the Apple iOS terminology.
And this surely brings us to mention possibly the most notable aspect of this subject: the rivalry between Android and Apple fans which is getting hotter every day. Which is better? An Android powered smart phone or an Apple iPhone? As a Kevah Works user, should you rely on the elasticity of an Android mobile device or on the reassuring simplicity of an iPhone or an iPad? According to recent statistics, 58% of new mobile devices sold in the last 3 months are Android powered devices while only 28% are Apple iPhones and iPads. Does this mean that an Android powered device is better than an Apple device?
This is exactly what we will try to find out in my future posts dedicated to this exciting debate.
Stay tuned!
