Androidis known as the most used mobile operating system in the world. It powers plenty of smartphones, and that number continues to grow as new users adopt it at a fast pace. Android isn’t just a single OS, it’s an entire suite of software packages. Each one is dedicated to different purposes, with some focusing on security or design.
What unites them all is the fact that Google supports them, which makes them the mastermind behind its success. In fact, Android has nothing to dowith Google directly. It was thanks to a variety of third-party developers who saw its potential and had the intention of commercializing it. Let us explore what made Android so successful.
Android’s Versatility
One of the greatest strengths of Android is its versatility. Whereas Apple’s iOS is an operating system that’s exclusive to their own products, Android has been used in many devices. Android has been used in everything from wearable tech to smart appliances. It has also been used in cameras, televisions, and even cars.
The flexibility of Android is a good indicator of its success because it allows users to customize their devices in ways that would otherwise not be possible. For example, Android’s software was used to improve some televisions in the early 2010s. This allowed those televisions to run apps and play games like online blackjackthat users could access through a remote control.
Google’s Commitment to Open-Source Software
Another important aspect of Android’s success is that it was built on open-source software. Open-source software is software that is developed by a collaborative effort and made freely available to the public. It has been a key factor in many successful projects, including Android.
It was easy for smartphone makers to use Android for their devices, which helped to make Android a household name among mobile users. This meant that Android phones had access to a much wider range of useful apps than most competing mobile devices. It also made it easy for smartphone makers to use Android since they could modify it to suit their needs.
Smartphone Makers’ Support
Samsung, LG, HTC, and many other companies invested in Androidwhen it was still a fresh and unproven operating system. Their support for Android helped the OS gain traction with users once it was released. Android’s popularity took off so quickly that it surpassed Apple’s iOS in terms of the number of devices sold.
This is an impressive feat, given that Apple’s iPhones had been the most widely used smartphones for years. Android was not the only mobile software that smartphone makers could have chosen to run their devices with.
Many companies chose to use the OS created by Google, even though it was relatively unproven. Their decision to support Android helped the OS grow in popularity, which in turn meant that it was a better option for users who wanted a smartphone.
Google’s Commitment to Quality
Google was the company behind Android, and it consistently worked to improve the OS and keep it updated with the latest software. Google made sure that Android and its various software packages were well-designed and easy to use. It also made sure that all of the packages were compatible with each other.
These factors made Android a good choice for users who wanted a decent smartphone that wasn't an iPhone. It also made it a good choice for device makers who wanted to compete with Apple. Google’s commitment to quality played a significant role in Android’s success because it helped to make the OS appealing to the general public.
Smartphone users liked that the OS was easy to use and liked the design of Android’s interface. Device makers liked that Android was compatible with their devices and didn’t require a lot of additional work on their part.
Conclusion
When Android first launched in 2008, it was seen as a bit of a dark horse. It had grown out of Google’s earlier partnership with other mobile manufacturers to launch the more successful and enduring Chrome OS. No one really knew what to expect from this new software.
In hindsight, we can see that there were many factors at play in making Android such an enduring success. Fragmentation gave OEMs incentives to stay on monthly updates. Open source meant that other software developers could build products for it. The ‘social’ part (Google login and Play Store) made it easier for users to access apps across different devices.