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14,418 'Android' stories May 2011 - June 2015
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Breaking news for Android. Get the latest on apps, carriers, devices, and more!

Android is Google’s mobile operating system, launched in September 2008, although its history technically began with the release of the Android alpha in November 2007. To this day, Android powers the majority of the world’s smartphones and comes in several different flavors across many phone makers.

Table of contents

What is Android?

Android Inc.

Android, before it was Android, was a company called Android Inc. That company was founded in Palo Alto, California, in 2003 by a crew of four: Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. The company and its project was acquired by Google in 2005 for a sum of more than $50 million, although the exact number is unknown. The company’s founders joined Google as part of the deal.

In its infancy, Android was an operating system built not for touch screen smartphones like the iPhone, but rather BlackBerry-like devices with physical keyboards. It’s well documented that after Apple shocked the world with the iPhone, ahead of its nearest competition by at least a couple years, Google and Android Inc. had to go back to the drawing board to build something competitive.

Adoption by third-party makers

It didn’t take long after the launch of the iPhone for various manufacturers to enter the market with their alternatives — and Google’s Android immediately became the obvious platform of choice for just about everyone except Microsoft. HTC was the first manufacturer on board, and introduced the T-Mobile G1 running Android in September 2008. Soon after, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile jumped on board to form the Open Handset Alliance.

Android makers across the world

Iconic Android handsets

There have been thousands of Android phones released since Android’s inception, but some have been more important to the platform’s history than others. There was the original T-Mobile G1, as mentioned, but there was also the HTC One Google Play Edition, Moto G, Samsung Galaxy S4, and others. Some of the most iconic Android handsets include:

  • HTC G1
  • HTC Nexus One
  • Samsung Galaxy S, S2, S3, S4, and their successors
  • HTC Incredible S
  • Samsung Nexus S
  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus
  • Samsung Galaxy Note
  • Nokia 8
  • BlackBerry KeyOne
  • Google Pixel and its successors

In more modern times, there are several Android smartphones makers that popped up across various niches and in several international markets. Huawei is a dominant Android maker in China and many European markets, while Samsung is by far the most popular maker in the United States by far — effectively creating a duopoly with Apple. Today, there are dozens of major device makers contributing to the Android ecosystem.

Full list of Android OEMs

History of major Android versions

Android has seen countless software revisions over the course of its life, but in modern times the OS usually sees a major release on an annual cadence. In the earlier days, Google famously gave its major software releases dessert-themed codenames, but retired that practice in 2019 with the release of Android 10.

VersionNameReleaseDevices
2.3GingerbreadFebruary 9, 2011Nexus S
4.0Ice Cream SandwichOctober 19, 2011Galaxy Nexus
4.1Jelly BeanJuly 9, 2012Nexus 7
4.2Jelly BeanNovember 13, 2012Nexus 4, 10
4.3Jelly BeanJuly 24, 2013Nexus 7 (2013)
4.4KitKatOctober 31, 2013Nexus 5
5.0LollipopNovember 3, 2014Nexus 6, 9
5.1LollipopMarch 9, 2015Android One
6.0MarshmallowOctober 5, 2015Nexus 5X, 6P
7.0NougatAugust 22, 2016Nexus 5X, 6P
7.1NougatOctober 4, 2016Pixel, Pixel XL
8.0OreoAugust 21, 2017Pixel, Pixel XL
8.1OreoDecember 5, 2017Pixel, Pixel XL
9PieAugust 6, 2018Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL
1010September 3, 2019Pixel 3, 3a
1111September 8, 2020Pixel 4

List of major Android OS platforms

While Android proper is certainly the most widespread of Google’s Android operating systems, the company has also launched many offshoots of the main OS over the years. There’s Android Auto, Android Wear (now Wear OS), Android TV (now rebranded to Google TV), as well as versions of Android built for tablets and Android Things (now defunct).

HTC unveils HTC One ME, a dual-sim smartphone packing MediaTek’s Helio X10 chipset

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jun 3 2015 - 8:28 pm PT
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Further differentiating its lineup (or complicating it, however you look at it), HTC has just unveiled a new dual-sim HTC One for the Chinese market called the HTC One ME, previously believed to be called ME9, via its website. The high-end smartphone matches the specifications and physical design of the One M9+ but only has a single 20MP round camera on the back, like the One E9+.


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First image of the alleged Galaxy S6 Plus leaks, shows off curved Edge display

Avatar for Chance Miller Jun 3 2015 - 8:27 pm PT
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Yesterday evening a report emerged that claimed Samsung would release a Galaxy S6 Plus later this year that’s essentially a larger Galaxy S6 Edge. Now, YouTuber MKBHD has shared what appears to be the first image of the Galaxy S6 Plus and as expected, it’s a larger Galaxy S6 Edge.


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Google Opinion Rewards question suggests the future launch of a “Google monthly movie pass”

Avatar for Chance Miller Jun 3 2015 - 8:01 pm PT
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Google’s Opinion Rewards surveys are home to a variety of different types of questions, but Google+ user Hugo Seijas today received a question that was a bit puzzling. The question reads, “Do you have a Google monthly movie pass?,” even though Google offers no such thing as a monthly movie pass.


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Verizon LG G Pad 10.1 LTE receiving bump to Android Lollipop

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jun 3 2015 - 7:57 pm PT
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The Verizon LTE variant of the LG G Pad 10.1 was released last November, which can feel like a long time ago here on the Internet, but Verizon hasn’t forgotten about owners of the tablet as it’s now receiving an update that sees its software version bumped to the 5.0.2 version of Android Lollipop. The actual software version number of the tablet, since of course LG has its own skin (albeit a light one) over Lollipop, is now VK70022A.

First, the UI elements specific to LG’s layer have been updated to fall in line with Google’s Material Design suggestions, and everything you’d expect from Lollipop is there as well: Smart Lock for authenticating the device when other trusted devices are nearby, notifications on the lock screen, the Interruptions menu which provides granular control over which app notifications light up your device, as well as Floating Action Buttons and the Screen Pinning feature. The notifications panel has also been completely redesigned and displays both notifications and quick settings within the panel.

The update should be rolling out over-the-air now but carrier OTA releases are notorious for taking a week or two to reach everybody, so hang tight if you don’t see it in your system updates.

Google Keyboard v4.1 syncs your custom dictionary across devices, removes some features

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jun 3 2015 - 5:29 pm PT
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Google today released a new version of the official Google Keyboard to the Play Store, most notably bringing along with it dictionary syncing to Google accounts (Apps for Business accounts excluded, it seems) and the ability to access emoji from physical Bluetooth keyboards.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: GoPro HERO4 Black $399, Sony Bluetooth/NFC speaker $50, Nexus 6 from $499, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 3 2015 - 12:41 pm PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Save 20% on GoPro’s HERO4 Black Action Camera: $399 shipped (Reg. $500)

Sony SRSX3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker w/ hands-free calling (refurb) $50 shipped (Orig. $150)

Motorola Nexus 6 from $499 shipped for 32 GB and $549 shipped for 64 GB (Reg. $649, $699)

Get $50 in Google Play credit when you buy a Nexus 9 from $399

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 32GB (unlocked): $400 shipped (Reg. $700)

Amazon now ships some smaller items for free even if you don’t have a Prime membership

Father’s Day Gift Guide: top picks, exclusive discounts and a $482 giveaway

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: DmC Devil May Cry, XCOM, Remember Me $4 ea, more

More deals still alive:

Keep tabs on anything with Tile Bluetooth item tracker: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $25)

New products & more:

Game Boy turns into a giant, Raspberry Pi-powered console that can play NES/SNES games

Samsung Pay debut pushed back to September after promising July launch

Avatar for Zac Hall Jun 3 2015 - 12:21 pm PT
2 Comments
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Samsung revealed a bit of setback today for Galaxy S6 owners hoping to get their hands on Samsung Pay this summer. As Bloomberg reports, the company announced on a call with investors today that it will miss its previous target of July for launching its mobile payment service. According to the Samsung executive, the company is now targeting sometime in September to roll out Samsung Pay in the United States and South Korea.
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Slack for Android updated with much faster navigation, emoji support, more

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jun 3 2015 - 11:41 am PT
1 Comment
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Slack, the workplace communication service that has taken the corporate communications space by storm, has released what is says is a “better, faster, and all around Android-ier” Slack app for Android, rewritten from the ground up. The biggest changes to come with this new version are a faster user experience for navigating around the app and the introduction of new user interface elements which follow the Material Design guidelines set forth by Google.


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Samsung all but confirms Galaxy S6 Active with official user manual

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jun 3 2015 - 10:18 am PT
2 Comments

At this point we have to believe that Samsung just doesn’t care very much about keeping the Galaxy S6 Active – a ruggedized variant of the flagship Galaxy S6 – a secret, as information about the device has leaked multiple times already starting early last month. Today we get what is essentially a complete rundown of the device in the form of its user manual, courtesy of none other than Samsung US.

The manual, clocking in at 108 pages, includes everything from information on Samsung’s custom interface on top of Lollipop to how to install the SIM card and customize the function of the “Active” key found on the side of the device.

Since this manual is coming straight from the dragon’s mouth, we feel it safe to consider all the details within official and confirmed, so let’s go through the top-line specifications. The S6 Active has a 5.1″ 2560 x 1440 Quad HD Super AMOLED display, an Exynos 7420 octa-core processor, 32GB of non-upgradable internal storage, 16MP rear and 5MP front-facing cameras, and unlike previous rumors suggested, the battery is staying the same as the S6 at 2,550mAh. All of these internal specs are pretty much the same as the standard Galaxy S6, actually.

Aside from that it lacks, as we expected, a fingerprint sensor or touch-sensitive buttons in favor of rugged hardware keys, but preserves the heart rate sensor and interestingly weighs just as much as its standard counterpart. The manual shows off the S6 Active in both Camo White and Titanium Black paintjobs, though we still expect there to be a green camouflage variant as was the case with its predecessor, the S5 Active.

With this phone having already been submitted for FCC approval, which typically happens when a device’s specifications and hardware design are set in stone, and considering the launch of its predecessor in June of last year, we should be seeing this device officially confirmed by Samsung pretty soon.

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Chrome for Android’s ‘Touch to Search’ feature for looking up highlighted text now rolling out

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jun 3 2015 - 9:41 am PT
2 Comments

Thanks to a screenshot shared on Google+, we’ve learned that the previously experimental Touch to Search feature for the Chrome browser on Android seems to have been moved to the stable build and is now rolling out to users. Touch to Search “sends the selected word and the current page as context to Google Search,” according to Google. In other words, you see something in a webpage that you’d like to learn more about and can highlight and look it up in Google Search without leaving the page.

It’s notably similar to the recently announced Now on Tap, except it only works within the Chrome browser and, of course, you’re providing more context than Now on Tap requires. From the image above it seems that this feature is opt-in, which makes sense with many cautious of Google’s attempts to collect information on their every digital move.

According to Android Central they’ve been able to access the feature from Chrome on a 2014 Moto X without updating, so Google probably just enabled a flag for the feature on the public build server-side, but I just tested it on a 2nd generation Moto G and wasn’t able to bring it up. Does the new feature appear like in the image above when you highlight text in Chrome for Android? Leave a comment if so!

Huawei’s $250 P8 Lite comes to the US, sports a 5-inch display, Snapdragon 615

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 3 2015 - 9:34 am PT
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As expected, the Huawei P8 Lite has now landed in the United States. The phone isn’t exactly the first of its kind—the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 and the ZenFone 2 fall into the same category—but it’s a notable addition to the available mid-range offerings in the US. It’s a stripped down version of the company’s P8, as you might expect…
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Tidal shows off refreshed Android app w/ Ticketmaster integration alongside $4.99 student pricing, desktop apps

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 3 2015 - 9:25 am PT
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Tidal is today announcing big updates to the Jay-Z backed streaming music service, including a refreshed Android app design with UI tweaks and Ticketmaster integration alongside new desktop app betas for Mac and Windows. 
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SoundHound releases impressive ‘Hound’ voice search app, check out this demo (Video)

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 3 2015 - 7:40 am PT
2 Comments

SoundHound’s first app is known as one of the best offerings when it comes to recognizing sounds. You could hum a song and the app could, fairly reliably, tell you which one you were humming. Now, the same company has released a new app, called Hound, which attempts to usurp the Google Now throne with some really impressive voice assistant technology…
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Galaxy S6 Active press renders leak again, this time without camouflage backing

Avatar for Chance Miller Jun 2 2015 - 5:02 pm PT
1 Comment

The Galaxy S6 Active has been leaked several times already, but now the well-connected Evleaks has posted another press render of the device. The first press render shared last month showed the device with a camouflage backing that, while lending credit to the rugged nature of the device, didn’t exactly come across as the most well designed look for a smartphone.


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Sketchy rumor has Samsung releasing Galaxy S6 Plus, a larger-screened S6 Edge

Avatar for Tom Maxwell Jun 2 2015 - 2:09 pm PT
4 Comments
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According to Italian HDBlog via SamMobile, Samsung is planning on launching what is essentially a larger Galaxy S6 Edge and will call it the Galaxy S6 Plus. The device is apparently codenamed Project Zero 2. The South Korean electronics giant is expected to release the new phone in the coming weeks before IFA 2015 where it is still plans to release the Galaxy Note 5, which is being called Project Noble inside the company.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Nexus 6 from $499, Nexus 9 w/ $50 Play Store GC, Galaxy Note 4 (unlocked) $400, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 2 2015 - 11:18 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Motorola Nexus 6 from $499 shipped for 32 GB and $549 shipped for 64 GB (Reg. $649, $699)

Get $50 in Google Play credit when you buy a Nexus 9 from $399

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 32GB (unlocked): $400 shipped (Reg. $700)

Daily Deals: Logitech MX Wireless Laser Mouse $28, Bluetooth headphones or earbuds $20, more

USB Power banks: Lumsing 6,000mAh $11 Prime shipped, Omaker 15,600mAh $20 Prime shipped

Keep tabs on anything with Tile Bluetooth item tracker: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $25)

Father’s Day Gift Guide: top picks, exclusive discounts and a $482 giveaway

More new gear from today:

Xbox One bundle/controller & refreshed Playstation 4 consoles leak ahead of E3

More deals still alive:

Headphones: Jabra Move Bluetooth on-ears $70 Shipped (Reg. $100), more

New products & more:

SanDisk details new portable USB C solid-state drives for MacBook and high capacity flash drives

GoPro’s new HERO+ LCD brings a touch display to its entry-level action camera

LG G Watch R removed from the Google Store, Watch Urbane now available in India

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 2 2015 - 10:56 am PT
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The LG G Watch R has been seeing scattered availability over the last several weeks, leading many to believe that it was set to be fully replaced by the LG Watch Urbane. Now, Google has officially removed the device from sale on the Google Store, and it looks like the suspicion of many has been confirmed. The device, previously available for $249, is now showing up as “unavailable in your country” for visitors in the United States and Japan…
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‘Blocks’ has a new modular smartwatch prototype w/ Snapdragon 400, crowdfunding to begin in ‘summer’ [Gallery]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 2 2015 - 10:04 am PT
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We first told you about the Blocks modular smartwatch earlier this year when we reported that the company had been in talks with Google about a potential partnership with the Ara team for cross-platofrm modules. A few months have passed since Blocks demoed their prototype at CES in January, and today they’re out to show the world the latest developments — and in just a few months, it looks like they’ve come a long way…
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LG G Watch R hack enables WiFi for devices running Android Wear 5.1.1

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 2 2015 - 9:03 am PT
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It’s widely speculated that LG is working to bring WiFi support to the LG G Watch R in some future release of Android Wear, but in the most recent official release, 5.1.1, the smartwatch is notably left out. Being left out of a feature isn’t an unsolvable problem for the XDA Developers community, though, as it appears one developer has put together a hack for enabling WiFi on the round smartwatch from LG…
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Tag Heuer’s upcoming Android Wear watch gets named: Tag Heuer Carrera Wearable 01

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 2 2015 - 8:16 am PT
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We don’t know much about the upcoming Tag Heuer Android Wear watch yet, but now we’ve learned one more little detail: its name. According to Wareable, who recently sat down with Tag’s CEO Jean-Claude Biver to talk about the smartwatch, the device is going to be called the “Tag Heuer Carrera Wearable 01”.

“There is no other choice for Tag Heuer than to have all its DNA, all its watchmaking emotion and flair into the connected watch. Somehow, one should not see from a certain distance the difference between a Carrera Heuer 01 and a Carrera Wearable 01.”


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Some Project Fi customers seemingly receiving a Nexus 6 case, headphones, and external battery

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 2 2015 - 7:43 am PT
8 Comments

Update: A tipster has sent an email confirming the existence of the “Welcome Kit”…

If you’re one of the lucky few who have received their invite to Project Fi, you’re probably also the kind of person that already owns a Nexus 6. If you don’t already have a Nexus 6 and you sign up for Fi though, Google makes you buy one—as it’s the only phone currently compatible with the service. According to a couple reports on Reddit, Google is giving these buyers some goodies…
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Dexcom introduces official ‘Follow’ glucose monitoring diabetes app for Android

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 2 2015 - 6:51 am PT
13 Comments

Dexcom, the company behind one of the leading continuous glucose monitor solutions for diabetes patients, has announced today that their “Follow” mobile app—which has long been available on iOS—is now available for Android devices. There have been many unofficial solutions available in the past, but now Dexcom’s system is officially supported on Google’s mobile OS…
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Adult Swim will send you a free Google Cardboard viewer… if you fax them a form

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jun 2 2015 - 6:16 am PT
7 Comments

All of the attendees of Google I/O this year (myself included) got the latest version of the Mountain View company’s Cardboard virtual reality headset for free—and now it looks like you can too. To promote their “Adult Swim Virtual Brainload” app, Adult Swim is trying to put a free Cardboard viewer in the hands of as many people as they can. But there’s only one catch: You have to fax them a form.
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