What Are Android Smartphones – The Direct iOS Competitor

When you choose a smartphone, it all comes down to what you are expecting to do with it. 

Whether you’re looking for a simple smartphone or something more advanced, the Android platform offers great options for everyone.

Let’s take a look at how different it is from other phones, how it works and why so many people like using one.

What Are Android Smartphones?

Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices. It is developed by Google, and it has been adapted by many other companies to run on their devices.

The company has become the most popular smartphone OS in the world and can be found on a variety of different types of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and watches.

Android is often thought of as a phone or tablet, but this is not true. Android is the operating system that some mobile devices use to function.

This operating system was originally developed by Android Inc., a company that Google acquired in 2005. The first Android-powered phone was HTC Dream, released in 2008.

In 2009 they created the on-screen keyboard and we would have the first versions of Android: 2.0 to 2.3.

By 2010 Android was already one of the most used OS in the United States, surpassing Apple.

Features of Android Smartphones

Android is one of the most popular operating systems in the world, so it’s no surprise that phones with this OS are extremely customizable.

Not only are there thousands of applications available for your phone, but you can also change how they look and feel.

In addition to having lots of apps available, Android smartphones have other features such as: 

Fingerprint Sensor

Android incorporates this option in its mobile devices to make them more secure and maintain the privacy of its users.

It is the easiest way to unlock the phone or access the apps.

Android also has a pattern point or PIN security to unlock them.

Water Resistance (IP68)

This feature was incorporated in 2010. And it was Motorola (developed by Android) that made the first waterproof phone.

Now, many Android phones have IP68 certification to be submerged in water without problems or even IP6 certification against dust.

Stereo Speakers

The sound of Android phones works perfectly without headphones, making them perfect for playing music, videos, or even playing video games.

Widgets

Widgets have long been a part of Android. They allow us to get information without having to go into an application or quickly access some parts of the phone.

For example, the Whatsapp widget lets you see your last messages without opening them. 

Multitask

Multitasking is something that Android users can use to switch from one app to another without completely closing the app. You can also have 2 apps opened at once or have them in the background.

This helps not to lose information from the web browser or other apps.

Connectivity

All Android phones have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. In addition, new models of smartphones with 5G connectivity have recently been introduced in the market.

Screen Resolution

This is one of the most outstanding features of smartphones developed by Android. 

Their new models have OLED Full HD, AMOLED, or LCD screens for better graphics resolution.

Good Photo and Video Resolution

Apple has always wanted to outdo Android when it comes to photo resolution. However, Android fights back by launching new models with triple cameras, up to 16MP front cameras and 13MP wide angle with macro function, and a 2MP depth sensor for better photos and videos.

How do Android Smartphones work?

The Android operating system for mobile devices is designed by a set of libraries based on the Java programming language. Each Android application sends its data to the Dalvik virtual machine.

This system also includes a set of C or C++ libraries that are used by various components of the system. These features are exposed to developers through the Android application framework.

These libraries include System C, media libraries, graphics libraries, 3-D libraries, SQLite, and others.

The kernel of the system is Linux and acts as an abstraction layer between the device hardware and the installed applications.

Besides, Google’s operating system relies on Linux for other basic services such as security, memory management, process management, network stack, or drivers.

Android has certain base applications that allow the use of the basic functions of a device such as e-mail, SMS text messages, calendar, maps, browser, contacts, and others.

These applications are developed in Java language.

Uses of Android Smartphones

There are many uses of Android smartphones. Some of them are listed below:

Listen to Music

You can use Androids to listen to music stored on their internal storage (which is usually limited), or you can transfer files from your computer over USB.

GPS

Many Android smartphones include GPS capability, which means that you can use them as navigation devices when driving around town or even abroad. Some will even give directions in real-time as you’re driving down roads.

Social Media

You can use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter on your Android phone. 

You also can chat with your friends using instant messaging services such as WhatsApp or Google Hangouts.

Online Shopping

The ability to shop online is another feature that makes Android phones very popular among users. 

You can use your phone to purchase items from different online stores including bookstores, video stores, and electronics stores among others.

Photos and Videos

Take advantage of the resolution of all your cameras and take pictures or record videos with high quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrap Up

Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world. It’s also the most versatile, allowing you to customize your phone with a variety of different apps and widgets. 

You can even change the look of your home screen by installing new themes – in contrast to iOS where you can’t change anything.

The open nature of Android has made it a favorite among developers and enthusiasts alike. 

The platform gives you total control over your device so you can install apps, change settings and tweak your phone any way you want.