Android is a
Linux-based
operating system designed primarily for
touchscreen mobile devices such as
smartphones and
tablet computers. Initially developed by Android, Inc., whom
Google financially backed and later purchased in 2005,[SUP]
[9][/SUP] Android was unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of the
Open Handset Alliance: a consortium of
hardware,
software, and
telecommunication companies devoted to advancing
open standards for mobile devices.[SUP]
[10][/SUP] The first Android-powered phone was sold in October 2008.[SUP]
[11][/SUP]
Android is
open source and Google releases the code under the
Apache License.[SUP]
[12][/SUP] This open source code and permissive licensing allows the software to be freely modified and distributed by device manufacturers, wireless carriers and enthusiast developers. Additionally, Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("
apps") that extend the functionality of devices, written primarily in a customized version of the
Java programming language.[SUP]
[13][/SUP] In October 2012, there were approximately 700,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from
Google Play, Android's primary app store, was 25 billion.[SUP]
[14][/SUP][SUP]
[15][/SUP]
These factors have allowed Android to become the world's most widely used smartphone platform[SUP]
[16][/SUP] and the software of choice for technology companies who require a low-cost, customizable, lightweight operating system for
high tech devices without developing one from scratch.[SUP]
[17][/SUP] As a result, despite being primarily designed for phones and tablets, it has seen additional applications on
televisions,
games consoles and other electronics. Android's open nature has further encouraged a large community of developers and enthusiasts to use the open source code as a foundation for community-driven projects, which add new features for advanced users[SUP]
[18][/SUP] or bring Android to devices which were officially released running other operating systems.
Android had a worldwide smartphone market share of 75% during the third quarter of 2012,[SUP]
[19][/SUP] with 500 million devices activated in total and 1.3 million activations per day.[SUP]
[20][/SUP][SUP]
[21][/SUP] However, the operating system's success has made it a target for patent litigation as part of the so-called "
smartphone wars" between technology companies.
See we aren't as twisted as you thought 
