Portal:Linux/Selected article/8

Android logos

Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen-based mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It is the world's most widely used operating system due to it being used on most smartphones and tablets outside of iPhones and iPads, which use Apple's iOS and iPadOS, respectively. As of October 2024, Android accounts for 45% of the global operating system market, followed by Windows with 26%.

Android has historically been developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance, but its most widely used version is primarily developed by Google. It was unveiled in November 2007, with the first commercial Android device, the HTC Dream, being launched in September 2008. (Full article...)