Andy Rubin and his team created the first version of Android in 2003 to power cameras. They adapted the core Linux code and built it into a camera operating system. They soon realized that smartphones would be the next big thing and revamped the system for them. Unfortunately, they did not receive much funding and development of Android nearly ceased. This article will tell you how each of the versions of Android has changed the way smartphones are used. Now you know what makes Android so awesome!
Lollipop introduced multi-touch
The newest update to Android brings some new features to the lock screen. The “Ambient Display” adds interactive important-only notifications when the device is locked. This feature is similar to the Moto Display, and is useful for devices that lack a notification LED. The Ambient Display can be disabled in the Settings menu under Display. It can also be turned off for a better touchscreen experience. Here are some other Lollipop features to check out.
One of the biggest changes in Android Lollipop is the use of Material Design as the user interface. The new design language has a paper-like appearance. Notifications can now be accessed from the lockscreen or displayed as a top-of-screen banner. Android’s Android Runtime (ART) also replaces Dalvik for improved performance and battery efficiency. Users will be able to switch between applications without affecting performance.
Besides these changes, Lollipop also introduced new ways to interact with the lock screen. On the lock screen, you can see the time, date, and pending notifications. By swiping upward, you’ll move the content up, while swiping downward will take you to a full-screen view of all your pending notifications. However, the lock screen is also a convenient way to view incoming messages.
While the vast majority of iPhone users are happy with the Apple interface, Android has always been more customizable. This version of Android offers a wider array of customization options depending on the device. Users can select widgets to customize the interface, set up multiple users, and use contextual information. While Android Lollipop may be better for some users, many people find the iOS interface a bit more cluttered than their Android counterparts.
Donut added support for CDMA networks
Donut, the codename for the 1.6 update of Android, debuted in fall 2009. It added support for CDMA networks for smartphones, additional screen sizes, and a text-to-speech engine. Donut followed the Android Cupcake (v1.5) update. Donut was superseded by more recent versions of Android including Gingerbread, Honeycomb, and Ice Cream Sandwich. But despite these shortcomings, Donut is still a worthy upgrade for Android.
Donut included the first smartphone operating system update to track battery usage. In “About Phone” users can see battery usage statistics by hardware function and app. You can tap any of these items to see the detailed battery statistics. And you can even link those stats to settings. Other notable features of Donut include a revamped search bar UI, improved gallery controls, and widgets. This version also added support for CDMA networks, which had previously been unavailable.
Although CDMA phones have been discontinued by some carriers, many still continue to use them for their crucial connectivity. However, as carriers continue to decommission their 2G and 3G infrastructure, support for them will soon be limited. Verizon is transitioning all CDMA devices off its network by the end of 2019 and will eventually move all of their devices to the HD Voice LTE network. Until then, you should consider upgrading to a newer technology or buying a different device that supports 4G/5G.
Donut introduced pinch-to-zoom
Android Donut was released in late 2009 and brought a number of changes to the mobile OS. This version improved the quality of videos uploaded to websites and YouTube, and added support for CDMA networks. The biggest change, however, was its inclusion of the new pinch-to-zoom feature. Unlike its predecessors, Donut made it possible for users to zoom in and out of a video without having to move their fingers. The device’s new zoom feature is especially helpful for users who suffer from poor vision, as it makes it possible to see more information on smaller objects.
To enable pinch-to-zoom on Android devices, head to Settings>Accessibility>Magnification. Once there, you can double-tap the screen and hold your finger down to enlarge content. This is the same process for smartphones. Double-tapping the screen or swiping up and down will activate pinch-to-zoom. Donut introduced pinch-to-zoom for Android on its website.
Donut added support for H.263, H.264, MPEG-4 SP, AMR-WB, AMR-WB, JPEG, GIF, and BMP
Android is the most widely used mobile operating system. This version supports all screen sizes and is flexible enough to support multiple input methods. It supports HDMI and Miracast connections for external screens. It also supports portrait and landscape orientations. The operating system uses a 2D and 3D graphics library based on OpenGL ES 2.0 specifications and a database known as SQLite.
Android devices support a large number of multimedia formats. These include SMS, MMS, GIF, and BMP. They also support Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, and LTE. Android also supports tethering. Some Android phones support WiFi, Bluetooth, WiFi, LTE, and GPS.
Donut has made a number of improvements to the auto-rotate feature. To avoid accidental auto-rotation, the new rotation icon will pop up next to the navigation icons. The volume interface has been redesigned to make it easier to access. The volume icon can now be toggled between up and down, keeping the ringer volume at maximum. And the pre-set icons allow you to set volume levels quickly and easily.
Donut is an open-source video player for Android devices. The project is led by software engineer Tejaswini Kasture, who has a passion for writing and blogging. Other than writing about technology, Tejaswini enjoys art, yoga, dancing, and sports. Her writings have a wide range of topics and can be found on various social media sites and blogs.
Android apps run in their own Linux process. Android system starts and stops this process when required and provides access to non-code embedded resources. The system also controls the activity stack, which allows apps to access data. In addition, applications can use Content Providers to share data with each other. The View System is an extensible set of views for creating application user interfaces. The Notifications Manager lets users receive alerts.
Gingerbread added voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation
While a minor update, Gingerbread did a number of important things. The first of these changes was the addition of NFC support, which was available on the Nexus S, thanks to a special antenna embedded in the battery cover. NFC was a hot topic in the mobile payment industry when Gingerbread was released, and the addition of NFC allowed users to collect URLs and scan Google Places signs. In addition to this, Gingerbread supported Google Wallet, a major initiative for mobile payments.
Honeycomb improved multitasking, and borrowed from webOS to introduce a recent apps virtual button. Upon long pressing the Home key, the app’s icon was displayed, making it difficult to select a specific application. Users had to reposition the app’s icon to see the thumbnails of recently used applications. Thankfully, Gingerbread has the option of highlighting individual words, which allows users to save battery life for more important apps.
