Android phones use Google- developed Android operating system, key applications and middleware. The applications are written in Java language and can also be translated in C language whenever needed. Till date, HTC Desire HD, HTC Sensation, HTC Desire S, HTC Wildfire S and HTC Wildfire have been introduced under the umbrella of this flagship brand.

What is New in Android?

Androids are really appreciated in some circles because of their open source mobile platform. Everyone is encouraged to write programs and applications of his/her own choice. This is a good opportunity for those people who want to design their own applications.

Another unique feature of Android is this that it is not bound to any specific manufacturer. Anyone who is interested can start producing it. The result is a variety of Android phones available in the market with a multitude of options.

Multitasking is another added advantage of these phones which you cannot find anywhere else. You can work on your file, watch a movie, listen to music and play games at the same time and on a single phone.

Why is Android Better Than Apple iPhone?

With an increased number of choices available in the market, people are now looking for phones which can offer customization. Apple gives you the option to customize your screensaver and wallpapers only. However, with Android, you can customize almost everything. Wallpapers, screen savers, applications and even hardware can be customized according to the requirement of customers.

People now prefer Android over iPhone, because Apple’s latest addition Apple 4G is offering advertisements. Many people consider these advertisements as an interruption in their privacy and look for ways to avoid it.

What Android Can Do for You?

Android can do anything for you.

• It can enlist your daily schedule
• It can help you in finding your friends
• It can help you in finding your way back to home if you are lost
• It can give background music for your parties
• You can conveniently watch movies and play games on it when you are bored

With this versatile phone set, you can perform multiple activities at a time.

Why Should You Buy Android?

See the Big Picture:

Android offers you a large screen to see the full details. Phones such as Atrix, Droid X, HTC EVO and Nexus S have four inch screens, which are bigger than any other mobile phone screen. With this, you can easily view your complete files, movies and videos.

Store More Than What You Can:

Most phones in this generation allow you to expand your storage memory with a SD card. This is a good option for those who store more applications than their phones allow them.

Customization:

With Android, you can have tons of customization options for your screen. You can add widgets to get live updates on the weather, RSS feed and social networking sites updates such as Facebook and Twitter.

Today, Android is pacing exponentially. It offers you various unique services that were not known earlier. More than 250,000 applications have been introduced till date while others are still on the way.

According to Game insight, ‘Paradise Island’ alone earned revenue of $640,000 this May which is magnificent.

Where Can Android Games Be Found?

A deep catalogue of Android games is available on the Android market. You can simply access the market from your region and download the games for free or at very low prices. However, prices are different in different regions.

How to Select Android Games?

For users’ convenience, many of these games are free. So, a good deal is to try these games before you make a final transaction. This will give you an idea of which games are worth your time and money.

On Which Devices Do Android Games Work?

Many of these games are played and tested on sets of Motorola Droid with 2.2 version of the Android software. So, Android games work on a lot of devices but not all Android phones support these games.

In Which Language Are Android Games Written?

Android games are written in java language. This language is the new norm for developing mobile applications and is widely accepted. Moreover, it is much easier than C++ language. It allows everyone who has an interest in developing gaming applications to develop games.

Applications You Should Know Before Developing Android Games:

Several applications are required to create an effective game on Android. Here is a list of some of those applications:

1.    SDK Kit:

SDK is the Software Development Kit. This kit has the libraries, tools and sample codes you need to develop your game for Android. It helps in deploying your application.

2.    Application Architecture:

The next important thing one should know before starting the process of game development is Android application architecture. It gives information about Applications, Activities and Intents required in developing a game.

Application architecture demonstrates the relationship between these three elements as they ease in fixing the problems in games.

3.    Activity Cycle:

This cycle is managed by Android operating software (OS). It creates, resumes, pauses and destroys the activities as directed by OS. This application is essentially required to achieve the desired game.

Selecting the Loop for Android Games

·       When Is Loop Required?

Loops are required for automated games. These are the games that have animations and timers. These games remain even if the user does not respond.

·       When Is Loop Not Required?

Loops are not essential for time-dependent games. These are the games which require the input of user in order to keep activated.

Best Android Games for 2011:

Though android offers a pool of games, the most interesting games for 2011 are listed below:

1. Angry Birds
2. Robot Unicorn Attack
3. Stupid Zombies
4. Slice It
5. Bubble blast 2.

Today, Android has fewer games than its neck-to-neck competitor iPhone. However, the pace at which games are developed on Android indicates that soon it will take the limelight from its competitor.

Android SDK (software development kit) is a software development kit. This kit is used in developing applications for Android platform.

Other than developing applications, SDK allows easy access to a device from a computer. It helps in installing several simple applications or in performing complicated tasks, such as installing Wi-Fi modules.

What Is Included In SDK?

An Android SDK includes:

• Sample project with source code
• Developmental tools
• Debugger
• Required libraries to build Android applications
• An emulator
• Important documents for Android application program interfaces (API).

In Which Language SDK Is Written?

Android SDK is written in Java programming language. Once an application is written completely, it runs on Dalvik which is a custom virtual machine.

How to Install Android SDK?

Here is a list of five simple steps that should be followed in installing SDK.

·      Steps for Developing Android SDK:

1-     Preparing your computer

2-     Installing SDK starter package

3-     Installing ADT plug in

4-     Adding Android platform and other components

5-     Exploring the components of SDK

Step #1: Preparing your computer:

The first step in installing SDK for your device is to prepare your computer. Make sure that:

• You computer meets the requirements of the system.
• You have installed Java development kit (JDK).
• You have installed a suitable version of Eclipse on your computer.

Step#2: Installing SDK Starter Package

The starter package for SDK is not a complete environment. In fact, it includes only the core SDK tools. These tools enable you to download other SDK components.

Some guidelines for installing SDK starter package are:

• If you have already installed SDK, install the latest version.
• If you have downloaded a .zip or .tgz package, then unzip the file to a safe location on your computer.
• If you have installed an .exe file then run it on the computer.

As you will need this SDK directory later, a note of name and location of this file should be on your system.

Step#3: Install ADT Plug In:

ADT is a system plug in for IDE. This tool is designed to give you a controlled and integrated environment to build applications. It accelerates the capabilities of Eclipse which allows you to:

• Quickly start new Android projects
• Create applications
• Fix your applications

ADT works best with Eclipse and is the fastest way to develop Android applications.

Step#4: Adding Android Platform and Other Components:

Android SDK and AVD Manager are used to download important SDK components on your system. This package includes only a single component i.e. the latest version of SDK tools.

Latest Android platform and associated platform tools are required to develop an Android application.

The components of SDK include:

• SDK tool
• SDK platform tool
• Android platform
• Samples
• Documentation
• Recommended driver for Windows

Step #5: Exploring the components of SDK:

After installing Android SDK, you can open your SDK directory to see what is inside it. Moreover, you can also define the location of your SDK tool to have easy access to the tools.

Once you have completed this installation, your system is ready to build applications for Android.

What Is An Android Application?

To manage your Android device effectively, there are several applications that need to be installed on your handset. Your device follows the instructions given in a specific language and functions accordingly.

Language and Installation of Android Applications:

Android apps are written in Java programming language.

The Android SDK is a tool kit which gathers the code with data and resource files. This code is then converted into an Android package. Android package is a library which has an .apk suffix. A file is considered as one application if it has a single .apk file can only be installed by Android- powered devices.

Android Application Framework:

Android offers open sourcing to entice users. By offering this platform, Android provides a chance to its users to develop and upload applications themselves. This results in extremely rich and innovative applications. Users can easily utilize the information on hardware device, location, set alarms and add notifications through this open sourcing.

Time Required In Running an Android Application:

Every Android app has its specific time to run. Applications are run with the help of Dalvik virtual machine. Dalvik virtual machine allows multiple VMs to run efficiently. It executes the file in Dalvik Executable format (.dex) to optimize minimal memory footprint.

Droid Application Components:

Android components are the key elements for developing Android applications. These components have their own entity and play an important role in the development of applications. Every component used in the development of an application is unique and defines the overall behavior of the application. One can easily enter a system through these components. However, not all the components allow this access.

There are four main types of Android app components:

·      Activities:

An activity is a single screen with a single interface. For example, an application showing a list of emails is a single activity and composing an email is another activity. Although these activities work collectively with each other but still they are independent of each other.

·      Services:

The services are used to run long -run operations. They are also used to perform work for remote processes. This component of Android application does not provide user interface and can be run in the background. For example, a user may play background music while working on another file.

·      Content Providers:

With the help of this content, you can resolve your query or even update an existing data, provided the content is available publically. For example, a content provider on Android systems manages your contact information.

·      Broadcast Receivers:

It is a component of droid application that responds to the announcements of system. For example, a broadcast announcing that the battery of the system is low.

Developing and uploading Android applications is very easy. This is the main reason that in very less time, Android is able to store more than 250,000 applications on its online Android market.

Why You Need Android Application Development?

Android application developments have gained much popularity in the past few years. They provide you with advanced services to increase the utility of your Smartphone. This development is done by professionals who specialize in Android application development.

What Android Developers Can Do for Your Smartphone?

There are various benefits of an Android application such as EDGE, CDMA, EV-DO, GSM and UMTS which make it stand out from the crowd. However, by hiring the services of skilled and experienced Android developers, features such as Video, GPs and camera can be enhanced a lot.

An Android developer can develop a wide range of applications for your Smartphone such as travel, entertainment and socializing applications to make your Smartphones more exciting and interesting for you.

From Where Can You Hire An Android Developer?

There is a pool of Android development companies from where you can hire a developer. However, it is suggested to hire Android developers from a reliable and reputed company.

You can easily find these companies on the internet using search engines. Look for companies that are renowned and have a good track of developing Android applications. After you have compared the cost-benefit analysis of 2-3 companies, choose the profile that entices you the most.

Tips On: How To Find An Android App Developer?

Finding the best Android developer is a milestone in creating an outstanding application. Even if you have the resources to develop Android application, it is advised to outsource it to professionals as they have the expertise in developing applications.

The following are some useful tips which may help you in hiring Android developers for your application:

·      Analyze Your Need:

Before you start searching for a developer, you need to decide whether you need to hire just one Android developer or an Android development application company. This totally depends on the application you are developing. If the application is simple, an Android developer can do it alone. However, if the application is complex, then hiring an Android development company can work best.

·      Start Searching Online:

The best way to start searching for a developer is online. A single Google search can yield up to 82 million results for Android application developers.

v Use The Right Keywords:

The best way to find a developer is to Google the right keywords. You can use specific keywords such as ‘renowned Android developers’ or ‘award winning Android developers’ to find the right developer for your application.

·      Classifieds:

Another good place to find developers for your Android is classified portals. Many freelance developers regularly browse these websites. If you post an ad in these portals, then it is quite certain that you will get a response.

Benefits of Hiring a Developer:

• They develop error free and quality applications
• Their solutions are cost effective
• Utilize Android SDK maximum
• Easy to replace applications

The first step of developing an Android application is finding the right developer. Many people themselves know the development of these applications, but lack expertise unlike a professional developer. So, if you want a quality application, you should look for an experienced Android developer who can come up with the best results.

On 28^th August 2008, Google announced an online software store called ‘Android marketplace’ for its Android devices. The software is preinstalled on most of the handsets. Through this online market, users can easily browse and download applications that are published by third-party developers.

The underlying vision of Google behind the creation of this online market is not only to attract users but also to entice skilled developers. This is the main reason word ‘market’ is used instead of ‘store’.

Comparison of Android Market with Apple’s App Store:

The fact is this that Android market is actually an answer to Apple’s app store. Recent figures indicate that Apple’s app store has crossed more than 15 billion downloads during 2011. In contrast to that, Android marketplace applications showed only 6 billion downloads.

Currently, the number of applications Apple offers is around 425,000 as compared to more than 200,000 Android applications. The statistics clearly states that Apple is in the limelight right now but this dominance is not going to last long.

Android has easily attracted users to its online application store since its introduction. It offers several distinctive services such as refund, porn content downloading, and access to applications which are not allowed otherwise. These services are not offered by Apple due to which increased number of users visit Android store.

What Is Offered In Android Market?

Android market is a place where you can easily buy or rent any content for your Android devices. The content may include books, applications and movies etc. The books and movies downloaded through this market can be used by their respective applications. The good thing about this store is that you can download movies even when you are not connected to the internet.

Initially when Google started this market, there were only 2,300 applications available for users. However, the number of applications reached 200,000 applications during May 2011.

Who Can Access This Market?

Google’s market for Android applications is open for all. Anyone can develop applications in this market. Once a developer is registered in the market, he/she has complete control over when and how the applications are available to users.

How One Can Access This Market?

The online market for Android applications can be accessed easily by following these simple steps:

Register: The process starts with the registration of an Android developer by filling a simple application form.

Upload: Once you have registered yourself, upload the content you would like to offer people.

Publish: Now publish the content after uploading. This will notify people about your application and allow them to download your application.

Availability of Marketplace:

This market was initially present only in the U.S. and UK. However, with the passage of time Google has increased its user availability. Now the market is available in the following countries.

• Australia
• Austria
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Japan

Smartphone users find it more convenient to use Android marketplace as compared to its competitor’s application store. So far, the number of applications Android offers is fewer than Apple’s store.  However, a recent study by research2guidance group has predicted that Android will soon surpass Apple in its size of applications the following year.

What is an Android Phone?

Android phone is the most recent addition in the mobile industry with a unique operating system called Android. It uses Google-developed Android operating system to run applications. The applications are easy to manipulate and user friendly. Even consumers who are not very tech savvy can also use them easily. 

Moreover, Android phone is an open source software stack which is developed by Android Inc. and Google. This software does not restrict any further advancement and innovation in Android handsets as many people are continuously working to improve it.

Android Samsung and Android Phones:

Samsung is one of the giant corporations involved in the production of Android handsets. Last year it contributed 13 percent of all the smartphones sold globally, which is remarkable. Android Samsung is reliable and has compelling hardware. However, consumers have some issues in getting regular updates from the company. Another disadvantage of Android Samsung is this that the sets aren’t much user friendly.

Android HTC and Android Phones:

The first Android phone was a result of partnership between Google and HTC, which was offered to public in 2007. It has set new trends in the industry of smartphones with its rich and innovative Android HTC phones. Last year HTC has contributed just three percent less than its close competitor Samsung.

What Makes Android Phones Different From Ordinary Phones?

·      Customization:

Android phones offer a lot of customization. You can customize anything such as wallpaper, screensaver, applications and even hardware to meet your needs. While in an ordinary mobile phone, you can only customize your wallpaper and screen savers.

·      Applications:

Many Android applications are available in Android market and can be downloaded for free or at very low price. You can also download these applications directly from your handsets. On the other hand, ordinary phones use applications that are expensive.

·      Multitude of Functions:

Unlike an ordinary phone, which allows you to use single application at a time, you can perform multiple functions with your Android phone.

Why Android Phones Have Gained Popularity?

Android phones are offering Open source software which has gained much popularity in the past years. The software is developed publically and is easily available.

Benefits of Open Source Software:

·      Increased Reliability:

Since tens of thousands of programmers work on a project so there are less chances of mistakes.  Moreover, due to the reviews of individuals and independent peer the reliability and quality of software is increased.

·      Multiple Options:

Open source software is available widely so, you don’t have to rely on a single company. Any open source friendly software can work on your system.

Manufacturers of Android Phones:

Android phones can be created by anyone who is interested in it. However, there are several giant corporations which are contributing a lot in producing Android handsets.

These corporations include:

• Google
• HTC
• Acer
• LG
• Samsung
• Motorola
• Sony Ericson
• And many other manufactures.

What Is Android Tablet?

A mobile computer is simply known as a Tablet. However, a tablet is somewhat larger in size than an ordinary mobile phone. Android tablets are operated through flat touch screens. Often the keyboards are virtual or with a pen, rather than a physical keyboard.

Companies Manufacturing Android Tablets:

There are many companies who are manufacturing Google Android-powered devices. Some of the giant manufacturers are:

• Motorola
• Samsung
• Dell

Market Share of Android Tablet:

Google’s tablet has successfully captured 22 % of global shipment share during December 2010. The share has increased dramatically from 2.3 % in the previous quarter. On the other hand, its biggest competitor iPad’s share has plunged to 75 % which was earlier 95 % in the preceding quarter.

Why Choose Android Tablet Over An iPad?

In spite of the fact that the market share of Google is less than that of Apple, Android tablets are becoming the first choice of users. The following reasons support the selection of Google tablet over an iPad:

·      Choice of Size:

An iPad has a standard size of a 10×8 picture frame. The dimensions for this tablet are 9.56 x 7.47 x .5 inches. When you go to buy an iPad, you have no other option than this size.

This is not the case with the tablet of Android. Here, you have a lot of choices. Since different companies are involved in the manufacturing of Google’s tablet, the sizes also vary. The sizes include 5 inches in Dell and Acer, 7 inches in Dell, Samsung and Acer, 9 inches in LG and Panidigital and 10 inches size in Motorola, Xoom and Acer.

·      Multitasking:

Apple’s tablet lacks the feature of true multitasking due to its battery. Moreover, performance can also get affected in these tablets due to multitasking.

In Android tablet, a dual core processor is present. This processor enables the tablet to handle true functions of multitasking. So, a user can easily perform multiple tasks at a time.

·      Availability of Camera:

The biggest mistake Apple made in its tablet was the absence of a camera. Many people look for this feature when buying tablets for video conferences.

Contrary to that, Android offers two cameras in its tablet. The cameras have outward and inward facing options for video chatting.

·      Sync Is Not Necessary:

In transferring data from an iPhone, iPod or even from an iPad, sync of device with iTune is required.

Luckily, the Android tablet allows its users to buy and send applications to their devices without syncing. This is magnificent.

·      Replaceable Batteries:

The disadvantage of owning an iPad is when the battery of the set is gone, the tablet is gone. You have to buy a new device as the previous battery cannot be replaced.

On the other hand, Android users find it easy to replace the battery of their tablets whenever the battery goes.

So far, Apple’s iPad has captured a larger chunk of the market. However, studies have predicted that soon Android tablets are going to capture this share. The reason is that Google’s tablet is continuously coming up with unique features that are not present in the previous tablets.

Market share:

Recent statistics indicates that Android has outclassed Apple’s iPhone by gaining 33% market share, which equals to almost one-third of the total smartphone market. On the other hand, Apple only holds 25% of the total market share.

Price:

Android has completely overshadowed iPhone when it comes to the price. Consumers find Android phones economical with all the functions and applications they want to see in their dream smartphone.

Customer satisfaction:

When comparing the customer satisfaction of the two smartphones, it is seen that many people are at ease with Android phones. This clearly states why many people have switched from iPhone to Android phones in the past few years.

Features:

When it comes to the comparison of new generation mobile phones, again Android takes the limelight. Here is a list of features present in Android and iPhone from which you can clearly identify the efficiency of both the handsets.

·      Customization:

Android is a world of customization. Here you can customize almost everything to change the way you use your phone such as browser, wallpapers, keyboard shortcuts etc. However, iPhone offers vey limited customization to its consumers.

·      Open source:

Android allows its developers to modify and customize software themselves. Because of this open sourcing, Android users can take advantage of many benefits which iPhone users cannot avail.

·      GPS and Voice Guidance:

GPS application is available in both the smartphones. However, with Android you can get voice guidance too in finding the desired location.

·      Notifications:

With Android phones, you can get notifications even if you are not connected with the internet. However, these notifications are stored on Apple server in iPhone and need an internet connection to be delivered.

·      Cloud Connectivity:

There is no doubt that Cloud is the future. While Apple is continuously striving to utilize this feature, Google owns it. It is not difficult for Google to synchronize the applications of Android with cloud to make its smartphones more effective.

·      Battery:

iPhone has batteries that perform outclass and lasts longer than any Android device.

·      Ease of use:

iPhone is user’s first choice when it comes to user- friendly handsets. In contrast to this, Android phones are a bit complicated.

·      Software keyboard:

While Android allows you to install any keyboard of your choice, iPhone offers you a software keyboard which is a good deal and convenient to use.

·      Storage:

iPhone has 16 GB or 32 GB capacity with no external storage options. While in Android it is scant 1GB with an optional 32 GB external SD card so, iPhone takes extra points here.

·      Entertainment:

Entertainment is much more in iPhone as compare to Android. You can play games and enjoy music on media player readily.

In a nut shell, both smartphones have heir own pros and cons. One is better with one feature while other takes the limelight in some other feature. So, if you want to buy an ideal smartphone, you should first prioritize the features you want in it.

What Android Actually Is?

Android is a mobile operating system (OS). Devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers use this software which was developed by Google in 2005. It consists of kernel which is based on Linux kernel, middleware and libraries to run different applications.

What Is The Reason Behind The Android Buzz?

The reason which enabled Google to rule over the heart of its users is its free-platform for developing applications. It allows a pool of people who use Android on their devices to modify and update the system.

Another outclass feature of this application is its customization. Android phones offer immense customization options and allow users to customize almost everything. One can customize features such as screensavers, wallpaper and hardware.

Market Share of Android:

Android is continuously striving to steal the share of its competitors. Currently, it is growing at a rate of 4.4% per week. Canalys reported on 1^st August 2011 that Google has gained nearly 48% of the global smartphone market share.

Earlier Google claimed that in July 2011, each day 550,000 new devices were activated. The figure was 400,000 per day during May 2011. It shows that there is an increase of more than 100 million devices that are being activated each day.

Applications of Android:

Currently, there are more than 250,000 applications and games of Google’s smartphone. These applications can be easily downloaded from the Android market. The applications may include camera, music and maps.

What is An Android Market?

Google has developed an online software store for its Android devices. In this online store different Android applications are available. Many of these are either free or are inexpensive.

There were more than 200,000 applications available on the Android market in December 2011, which currently rose to 250,000 recently. Google claims that there were more than 3 billion applications installed at the end of June 2011.

Prominent Features of Android:

Google’s Android has a lot of unique feature. Some of the most prominent features are:

·      Storage:

SQLite is used in Google Android to store data. Though storage capacity is less, there is an option for an additional SD card to store excess data.

·      Maps:

Maps are one of the most important features offered by Google. You can find the location of any place you want to go to with your Android phone set.

·      Multi-tasking:

With Android, you can perform multiple functions at a time.

·      Cloud Messaging:

SMS and MMS services are also available on Android. Another addition to this feature is Android Cloud to Device Messaging structure which is not present on any other smartphone.

In a nutshell, competition is still tough in the smartphone industry. And every company is determined to be a market leader. However, research by Gartner Inc. has reported that Android is expected to win a major chunk of the global smartphone industry by 2015.