Android is an operating system based on Linux kernel, developed by Google. Linux is an Open Source and free operating system and with some modifications on the Linux operating system, android OS was developed. Linux OS is majorly used in server and Desktop operating system so the android operating system is focused on touch screen mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. The First Android version was Rolled out in the year 2003 by the owner of “Android Inc.”, “Andy Rubin”, but later on Google acquired Android Inc. for at least $50 million, and made Andy Rubin the head of Android. Android was officially launched by google in the year 2007 and then google announced as an open-source operating system. In the year 2008 HTC Dream was launched in the market as the first mobile phone which runs exclusively on the operating system. In the year 2003, “Andy Rubin” left Android for some personal project, and then “Sundar Pichai” was announced as the head of Android.
Key Features of the Android Operating System
- User Interface: The user interface of the Android operating system is straight forward, and these features make it very user friendly.
- Multiple Language Support: Android supports multiple languages in its operating system and one can change the language very easily based on one’s requirement, the International languages supported are English, Germany, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and many more also some native language of India is also Supported Like Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi and many more.
- Multi-tasking: Android provides support to run apps and services in the background with ease which allows the users to use multiple apps at the same time.
- Connectivity: Android has extensive support to the connectivity and it supports connectivity such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Hotspot, CDMA, GSM, NFC, VOLTE, UBB, VPN, 3G network band, and 4G Network Band.
- Extensive Application Support: Android have Play store which is used as the major tool to download and update applications on the operating system, however, one can download the installer(often called as APK file) and install it manually, but it is not much recommended as third party applications could be prone to some security breach in the smartphones.
A Slight Overview of Android 10
- Android 10 is Google’s latest operating system released on the 3rd of September 2019.
- It is the first Android release without any dessert names like marshmallow, KitKat, or any other desert
- It was expected to release with the name Android Q, but surprisingly google came up with numerical names like android 10.
Key Features of Android 10
1. Smart Replies
Automatic Suggestion to reply to texting app, like if a message contains a phone number then we can click on it and save/call the contact number. In this feature, you not only get some suggested responses but also get recommended actions related to the message. For Example, if someone sends a message regarding a meeting schedule then it pops to set a reminder for the meeting in the calendar, If one get a location in the message then it pops to open maps for it, If someone asks to join for a meeting then it prompts us to reply with yes or no. The smart reply feature was initially started by Gmail and is later on carried to android also. These features not only work for system apps but also work on some third party applications like Signal.
2. Sound Amplifier
Native Support for the inbuilt amplifier for the users, earlier we had to download some third-party applications to do the same. With Sound Amplifier feature one can hear the better sound and can also boost the sound by fine-tuning the sound by the help of features such as “boost” and “fine-tune” on either of the ears or both of the ears of the headphone. This feature helps the user to hear the music/recorded voice note more clearly when a large amount of hindrance can be observed in the surrounding.
3. Gesture Control
Earlier this feature was not only available for IOS Applications but with the android 10 update, we can get the use it on the windows operating system. Some popular gesture control features include:
- Go back: In order to go back one needs to swipe from the left or right edge of the screen, and while doing so an arrow shows up on the screen showing that you are redirected to the previous page of the device.
- Go home: To go to the home screen one needs to swipe from the bottom edge of the screen in the upward direction and you will be redirected to the home screen.
4. Live Captions
Using machine learning algorithms to generate the live captions of any video you are watching even when the video don’t have subtitles. To turn Live Caption on or off we need to Press the volume button and in the volume control one needs to tap on the live caption subtitles. Once turned one, we can see the live caption appears at the bottom of the speech being played in the media on your device, and that too without ever needing WiFi or Mobile Data. We can also move the caption box by touch and hold and then drag up or down to enhance the viewing experience and if we drag the caption to the extreme bottom then we can turn off Live Caption.
5. Dark Mode
The dark mode is provided in the operating system and the new dark mode support many apps that will reduce the battery drain on OLED phones. Android 10 dark theme uses true black to keep the battery alive for a longer duration, also it changes the view of the google applications like Google Drive, Google Photos, Google Calendar, to improve the viewing experience at night and to put less strains on the eyes for night users. It not only works with google apps but also it is expanding it’s features to some third-party applications such as Instagram and Reddit, also the support of dark mode applications is increasing day by day.
Changes Made for Android Applications Developers
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Increased Privacy:
- Changed background execution limit.
- Wifi Scanning programmatically disabled.
- Can not toggle mobile data Programmatically.
- Removed access to IEMI codes.
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Limited Storage:
- Does not allow apps to access entire SD card.
- Uses scopes like file type differentiator like pictures, music, etc.
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Camera:
- Restriction on access to camera details.
- Can not access camera metadata directly.
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Biometric Access:
- Access to check if device has biometric into it.
- Use biometric authentication in android application.
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Audio Device Sharing:
- Multiple audio devices could use the audio device at the same time.
- You can call someone and use other audio device also at the same time.
So, these were the major Highlights of Android 10 operating system.