Android versions: A living history from 1.0 to 13

 What a long, strange trip it's been.

From its inaugural release to today, Android has transformed visually, conceptually and functionally — time and time again. Google's mobile operating system may have started out scrappy, but holy moly, has it ever evolved.

Here's a fast-paced tour of Android version highlights from the platform's birth to present. (Feel free to skip ahead if you just want to see what’s new 

Explore Android's ongoing evolution with this visual timeline of versions, starting B.C. (Before Cupcake) and going all the way to 2022's still-under-development Android 13 release.

What a long, strange trip it's been.

From its inaugural release to today, Android has transformed visually, conceptually and functionally — time and time again. Google's mobile operating system may have started out scrappy, but holy moly, has it ever evolved.

Here's a fast-paced tour of Android version highlights from the platform's birth to present. (Feel free to skip ahead if you just want to see what’s new in Android 12 or Android 13.)

Android versions 1.0 to 1.1: The early days

Android made its official public debut in 2008 with Android 1.0 — a release so ancient it didn't even have a cute codename.

Things were pretty basic back then, but the software did include a suite of early Google apps like Gmail, Maps, Calendar, and YouTube, all of which were integrated into the operating system — a stark contrast to the more easily updatable standalone-app model employed today.

The Android 1.0 home screen and its rudimentary web browser (not yet called Chrome).

Android version 1.5: Cupcake

With early 2009's Android 1.5 Cupcake release, the tradition of Android version names was born. Cupcake introduced numerous refinements to the Android interface, including the first on-screen keyboard — something that'd be necessary as phones moved away from the once-ubiquitous physical keyboard model.

Cupcake also brought about the framework for third-party app widgets, which would quickly turn into one of Android's most distinguishing elements, and it provided the platform's first-ever option for video recording.

Cupcake was all about the widgets.

Android version 1.6: Donut

Android 1.6, Donut, rolled into the world in the fall of 2009. Donut filled in some important holes in Android's center, including the ability for the OS to operate on a variety of different screen sizes and resolutions — a factor that'd be critical in the years to come. It also added support for CDMA networks like Verizon, which would play a key role in Android's imminent explosion.

Android's universal search box made its first appearance in Android 1.6.

Android versions 2.0 to 2.1: Eclair

Keeping up the breakneck release pace of Android's early years, Android 2.0, Eclair, emerged just six weeks after Donut; its "point-one" update, also called Eclair, came out a couple months later. Eclair was the first Android release to enter mainstream consciousness thanks to the original Motorola Droid phone and the massive Verizon-led marketing campaign surrounding it.

Verizon's "iDon't" ad for the Droid.

The release's most transformative element was the addition of voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation and real-time traffic info — something previously unheard of (and still essentially unmatched) in the smartphone world. Navigation aside, Eclair brought live wallpapers to Android as well as the platform's first speech-to-text function. And it made waves for injecting the once-iOS-exclusive pinch-to-zoom capability into Android — a move often seen as the spark that ignited Apple's long-lasting "thermonuclear war" against Google.

The first versions of turn-by-turn navigation and speech-to-text, in Eclair.

Android version 2.2: Froyo

Just four months after Android 2.1 arrived, Google served up Android 2.2, Froyo, which revolved largely around under-the-hood performance improvements.

Froyo did deliver some important front-facing features, though, including the addition of the now-standard dock at the bottom of the home screen as well as the first incarnation of Voice Actions, which allowed you to perform basic functions like getting directions and making notes by tapping an icon and then speaking a command.

Google's first real attempt at voice control, in Froyo.

Notably, Froyo also brought support for Flash to Android's web browser — an option that was significant both because of the widespread use of Flash at the time and because of Apple's adamant stance against supporting it on its own mobile devices. Apple would eventually win, of course, and Flash would become far less common. But back when it was still everywhere, being able to access the full web without any black holes was a genuine advantage only Android could offer.

Android version 2.3: Gingerbread

Android's first true visual identity started coming into focus with 2010's Gingerbread release. Bright green had long been the color of Android's robot mascot, and with Gingerbread, it became an integral part of the operating system's appearance. Black and green seeped all over the UI as Android started its slow march toward distinctive design.

It was easy being green back in the Gingerbread days.

Android 3.0 to 3.2: Honeycomb

2011's Honeycomb period was a weird time for Android. Android 3.0 came into the world as a tablet-only release to accompany the launch of the Motorola Xoom, and through the subsequent 3.1 and 3.2 updates, it remained a tablet-exclusive (and closed-source) entity.

Under the guidance of newly arrived design chief Matias Duarte, Honeycomb introduced a dramatically reimagined UI for Android. It had a space-like "holographic" design that traded the platform's trademark green for blue and placed an emphasis on making the most of a tablet's screen space.

Honeycomb: When Android got a case of the holographic blues.

While the concept of a tablet-specific interface didn't last long, many of Honeycomb's ideas laid the groundwork for the Android we know today. The software was the first to use on-screen buttons for Android's main navigational commands; it marked the beginning of the end for the permanent overflow-menu button; and it introduced the concept of a card-like UI with its take on the Recent Apps list.

Android version 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich

With Honeycomb acting as the bridge from old to new, Ice Cream Sandwich — also released in 2011 — served as the platform's official entry into the era of modern design. The release refined the visual concepts introduced with Honeycomb and reunited tablets and phones with a single, unified UI vision.

ICS dropped much of Honeycomb's "holographic" appearance but kept its use of blue as a system-wide highlight. And it carried over core system elements like on-screen buttons and a card-like appearance for app-switching.

The ICS home screen and app-switching interface.

Android 4.0 also made swiping a more integral method of getting around the operating system, with the then-revolutionary-feeling ability to swipe away things like notifications and recent apps. And it started the slow process of bringing a standardized design framework — known as "Holo" — all throughout the OS and into Android's app ecosystem.

Android versions 4.1 to 4.3: Jelly Bean

Spread across three impactful Android versions, 2012 and 2013's Jelly Bean releases took ICS's fresh foundation and made meaningful strides in fine-tuning and building upon it. The releases added plenty of poise and polish into the operating system and went a long way in making Android more inviting for the average user.

Visuals aside, Jelly Bean brought about our first taste of Google Now — the spectacular predictive-intelligence utility that's sadly since devolved into a glorified news feed. It gave us expandable and interactive notifications, an expanded voice search system, and a more advanced system for displaying search results in general, with a focus on card-based results that attempted to answer questions directly.

Multiuser support also came into play, albeit on tablets only at this point, and an early version of Android's Quick Settings panel made its first appearance. Jelly Bean ushered in a heavily hyped system for placing widgets on your lock screen, too — one that, like so many Android features over the years, quietly disappeared a couple years later.

Jelly Bean's Quick Settings panel and short-lived lock screen widget feature.

Android version 4.4: KitKat

Late-2013's KitKat release marked the end of Android's dark era, as the blacks of Gingerbread and the blues of Honeycomb finally made their way out of the operating system. Lighter backgrounds and more neutral highlights took their places, with a transparent status bar and white icons giving the OS a more contemporary appearance.

Android 4.4 also saw the first version of "OK, Google" support — but in KitKat, the hands-free activation prompt worked only when your screen was already on and you were either at your home screen or inside the Google app.

The release was Google's first foray into claiming a full panel of the home screen for its services, too — at least, for users of its own Nexus phones and those who chose to download its first-ever standalone launcher.

The lightened KitKat home screen and its dedicated Google Now panel.

Android versions 5.0 and 5.1: Lollipop

Google essentially reinvented Android — again — with its Android 5.0 Lollipop release in the fall of 2014. Lollipop launched the still-present-today Material Design standard, which brought a whole new look that extended across all of Android, its apps and even other Google products.

The card-based concept that had been scattered throughout Android became a core UI pattern — one that would guide the appearance of everything from notifications, which now showed up on the lock screen for at-a-glance access, to the Recent Apps list, which took on an unabashedly card-based appearance.

Lollipop and the onset of Material Design.

Lollipop introduced a slew of new features into Android, including truly hands-free voice control via the "OK, Google" command, support for multiple users on phones and a priority mode for better notification management. It changed so much, unfortunately, that it also introduced a bunch of troubling bugs, many of which wouldn't be fully ironed out until the following year's 5.1 release.

Android version 6.0: Marshmallow

In the grand scheme of things, 2015's Marshmallow was a fairly minor Android release — one that seemed more like a 0.1-level update than anything deserving of a full number bump. But it started the trend of Google releasing one major Android version per year and that version always receiving its own whole number.

Marshmallow's most attention-grabbing element was a screen-search feature called Now On Tap — something that, as I said at the time, had tons of potential that wasn't fully tapped. Google never quite perfected the system and ended up quietly retiring its brand and moving it out of the forefront the following year.

Marshmallow and the almost-brilliance of Google Now on Tap.

Android 6.0 did introduce some stuff with lasting impact, though, including more granular app permissions, support for fingerprint readers, and support for USB-C.

Android versions 7.0 and 7.1: Nougat

Google's 2016 Android Nougat releases provided Android with a native split-screen mode, a new bundled-by-app system for organizing notifications, and a Data Saver feature. Nougat added some smaller but still significant features, too, like an Alt-Tab-like shortcut for snapping between apps.

Android 7.0 Nougat and its new native split-screen mode.

Perhaps most pivotal among Nougat's enhancements, however, was the launch of the Google Assistant — which came alongside the announcement of Google's first fully self-made phone, the Pixel, about two months after Nougat's debut. The Assistant would go on to become a critical component of Android and most other Google products and is arguably the company's foremost effort today.

Android version 8.0 and 8.1: Oreo

Android Oreo added a variety of niceties to the platform, including a native picture-in-picture mode, a notification snoozing option, and notification channels that offer fine control over how apps can alert you.

Oreo added several significant features to the operating system, including a new picture-in-picture mode.

The 2017 release also included some noteworthy elements that furthered Google's goal of aligning Android and Chrome OS and improving the experience of using Android apps on Chromebooks, and it was the first Android version to feature Project Treble — an ambitious effort to create a modular base for Android's code with the hope of making it easier for device-makers to provide timely software updates.

Android version 9: Pie

The freshly baked scent of Android Pie, a.k.a. Android 9, wafted into the Android ecosystem in August of 2018. Pie's most transformative change was its hybrid gesture/button navigation system, which traded Android's traditional Back, Home, and Overview keys for a large, multifunctional Home button and a small Back button that appeared alongside it as needed.

Android 9 introduced a short-lived setup for getting around phones with a mix of both gestures and buttons.

Pie included some noteworthy productivity features, too, such as a universal suggested-reply system for messaging notifications, a new dashboard of Digital Wellbeing controls, and more intelligent systems for power and screen brightness management. And, of course, there was no shortage of smaller but still-significant advancements hidden throughout Pie's filling, including a smarter way to handle Wi-Fi hotspots, a welcome twist to Android's Battery Saver mode, and a variety of privacy and security enhancements.

Android version 10

Google released Android 10 — the first Android version to shed its letter and be known simply by a number, with no dessert-themed moniker attached — in September of 2019. Most noticeably, the software brought about a totally reimagined interface for Android gestures, this time doing away with the tappable Back button altogether and relying on a completely swipe-driven approach to system navigation.

Android 10 packed plenty of other quietly important improvements, including an updated permissions system with more granular control over location data along with a new system-wide dark theme, a new distraction-limiting Focus Mode, and a new on-demand live captioning system for any actively playing media.

Android 10's new privacy permissions model added some much-needed nuance into the realm of location data.

Android version 11

Android 11, launched at the start of September 2020, is a pretty substantial Android update both under the hood and on the surface. The version's most significant changes revolve around privacy: The update builds upon the expanded permissions system introduced in Android 10 and adds in the ability for users to grant apps certain permissions — those related to location access, camera access, and microphone access — only on a limited, single-use basis.

Android 11 lets you grant an app permission to see your location or access your camera or microphone only for a single session of use.

Android 11 also pushes the background location permission even deeper into the system and makes it more difficult for apps to request (and thus less likely for users to activate inadvertently). And it introduces a new feature in which apps that have gone unopened for a matter of months will automatically have their permissions revoked unless you actively opt to reauthorize them.

Beyond that, Android 11 removes an app's ability to see what other apps are installed on your phone — something that was actually possible up until this release — and it limits the ways apps are able to interact with your local storage in order to better protect your information.

Importantly but invisibly, Android 11 more than doubles the number of once-OS-bundled elements that now exist as their own standalone modules — like apps in the Play Store, basically — and thus can be updated directly by Google, frequently and universally and without the need for any carrier or manufacturer involvement. And as for the more visible, user-facing features, Android 11 refines the system notification area to emphasize and simplify conversation-related alerts; it introduces a new streamlined media player that contains controls for all audio- and video-playing apps in a single space; and it adds in a new contextual menu of connected-device controls for any smart products associated with your account (though some of those features require a bit of manual adjustment in order to work optimally).

Android 11's new media player appears as part of the system Quick Settings panel, while the new connected-device control screen comes up whenever you press and hold your phone's physical power button.

Last but not least, Android 11 marks the long-awaited debut of Bubbles — a new kind of multitasking system first discussed in 2019 but then put on the back burner until now. With apps that support the system, Bubbles allows you to pop conversations out into floating windows that appear on top of whatever else you're doing and can be condensed down into small, floating bubbles that remain easily accessible for expansion.

Android's new Bubbles feature was first introduced during development of Android 10 — known as "Android Q" at the time — and finally made its public debut with Android 11.

Android 11 has plenty of other small but significant improvements — including a new Notification History section, a native screen recording function, and an automated scheduling system for the system-wide Dark Theme.

Android version 12

Google officially launched the final version of Android 12 in October 2021 and started rolling the software out to its own Pixel devices soon after — alongside the launch of its new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones.

In a twist from the last several Android versions, the most significant progressions with Android 12 are mostly on the surface. Android 12 features the biggest reimagining of Android's interface since 2014's Android 5.0 (Lollipop) version. That version, as we discussed a moment ago, was the first to showcase Google's then-new Material Design standard. And this one is the first to integrate an updated and completely overhauled take on that standard — something known as Material You.

Material You brings a dramatically different look and feel to the entire Android experience, and it isn't limited only to system-level elements, either. Eventually, Android 12's design principles will stretch into both apps on your phone and Google services on the web. The same principles will show up on Chromebooks, Smart Displays, and Google-associated wearables as well. And since a huge part of the Material You concept is allowing you (get it?) to customize the palette and other specifics of the interface's appearance — even having your phone generate dynamic personalized themes for you on the fly, based on the colors of your phone's wallpaper at any given moment — the changes run deep and will absolutely be noticeable.

Notably, most of Material You's most meaningful design advancements will likely be available only on Google's own Pixel phones, at least to start. After years of having third-party device-makers muck around with the Android interface and introduce all sorts of arbitrary change for the sake of change, Google finally seems to be embracing the fact that its own Android design choices are not going to be universal — and in doing so, it's turning the limited availability of that interface and everything around it into a Pixel feature instead of a Google liability.

Android 12 ushers in a whole new look and feel for the operating system — at least, as it's experienced on Google's own devices. (Click image to enlarge it.)

Surface-level elements aside, Android 12 brings a (long overdue) renewed focus to Android's widget system along with a host of important foundational enhancements in the areas of performance, security, and privacy. The update provides more powerful and accessible controls over how different apps are using your data and how much information you allow apps to access, for instance, and it includes a new isolated section of the operating system that allows A.I. features to operate entirely on a device, without any potential for network access or data exposure.

Android 12's new Privacy Dashboard provides simpler and more granular details and controls over how apps are accessing your data. (Click image to enlarge it.)

And while Android 12 is still making its way to some devices as we speak, another new major Android version is already in the works and out in the world.

Android version 13 (developer preview)

The first official sign of Android 13 arrived on February 10, 2022, when Google announced the inaugural developer preview of its latest Android version.

So far, there really isn't a heck of a lot to say about Android 13 — at least, officially. As is typically the case with these early developer previews, the software in its current form is more of a skeleton than anything and present mostly just to let developers and device-makers start interacting with the new under-the-hood changes and getting their own creations ready.

With that in mind, the biggest features in Android 13 so far include an updated photo picker that allows apps to access specific images and videos without requiring permission to view all of your media files and an improved Quick Settings setup that makes it easier to find and add new tile options.

It seems safe to say that's all just a drop in the ocean of what Android 13 will ultimately represent — and already, numerous leaks and analyses suggest there's plenty more to the story. Most notably, Google seems to be cookin' up a whole new system for Android tablets that'll let devices double as multipurpose, multiuser displays when they're docked, with easy access to shared resources and a new and improved personal profile system.

Combined with the also-under-development Android 12L "feature drop" — an incremental update to Android 12 that's mostly about adding in a bunch of overdue optimizations for making Android work better on big-screen devices (!!!) — this strongly suggests a key theme of 2022 will be creating a better and perhaps somewhat differentiated experience on both Android tablets and folding phones.

Google's planning to release a series of developer previews and betas between now and July, with a final stable Android 13 launch expected sometime in the late summer or early fall months.

Stay tuned.

10 tips to build best mobile apps

Writing a mobile app for Android or iOS is easy but designing a great mobile app can be a challenge. Learn how to write better mobile apps with these ten quick tips!

Mobile Application Development Life-Cycle

1: Keep it Focused

The best mobile apps focus on doing one thing very well. You should be able to describe what your app does in one sentence without any "ands". The user should be able to launch it, use it and put it away in seconds having used its primary purpose. If a user has to navigate through four levels of menus to be productive, your app will be quickly uninstalled.

2: Use the Back Button Appropriately

On Android, the native OS supplied back button should navigate the user back consistently. On iOS where the back button is software controlled, you should always supply a back button and it should always be in the top-left hand corner where the user expects it. Following the conventions of back-button behavior and location specific to your operating system is critical to making your app meet your user's expectations.

3: Think of the Keyboard

Most mobile apps have one or more screens that use keyboard input. Unfortunately many designers don't think about how the screen will look once the on-screen keyboard is activated. When you do your testing, make sure the user always has enough on-screen context to know what they are doing even when the on-screen keyboard is activated.

4: Consider Placeholders Thoughtfully

Creating World-class Mobile Experiences with Windows Azure Mobile Services Download Now

If your application only has a few data input fields, placeholders inside of the field are fine and can make your app look cleaner. If your application has more than a few data entry fields, placeholders instead of field labels can become very confusing. Once the user has entered some information in the field, unless that information is self-evident as to what it is, they won't know what that information is supposed to be.

5: Challenge New Features

In the old days of application design, software developers focused on adding as many features as possible to their applications. They measured success on being able to tick more feature boxes than the competition. The mobile revolution has really changed this.

In desktop applications, a marginally useful feature added in a sub-menu that a few users found useful was probably a good idea because it could be the key differentiator of your application versus the competition. In mobile applications, a marginally useful feature makes your user interface cluttered and difficult to navigate.

6: Put Tabs in the Right Place

On iOS, the primary tab navigation doesn't look like tabs. They are icons at the bottom of the window that a user uses to switch between major topic areas of the application. iOS users don't expect this function at the top of the window where an Android user expects it. On Android, tabs are typically placed at the top of the application and can scroll left-right.

The key observation here is if your app needs to rely upon a "tab" concept as the primary navigation to the main topic areas of your app, you will need to place them differently on iOS versus Android.

7: Watch Your Button Sizes

There is a tendency in simplistic design that says in order to add one more thing we can fit it all in if we just shrink the buttons or font sizes a little. This is a dangerous and slippery slope. If you've ever tried to use a web page on your smartphone that wasn't designed for mobile, you know the experience can be a frustrating exercise in pinch-zooming enough to be able to click the correct hyperlink. In an app, it's even more problematic as the user doesn't have the option to zoom in.

Keep your button sizes big enough to use easily and test your app on a small phone like an iPhone 4 to make sure it's still comfortably usable.

8: Consider Button Placement

When a user is holding a smartphone in their hand, the bottom half of the screen is easily reached by the thumb. Right handed users can access the bottom-right side of the phone the easiest and lefties the opposite.

If you want to be able to use your app one-handed, keep this in mind.

9: Provide the Information Your Users Need

Any time you present your user with a request for input, think about what information the user will need to make a decision as to what action to take. If your UI doesn't make that information available in the same location you're prompting them for input, they might need to cancel out and navigate back to where the information is to come back and make the decision.

Save your users the pain and make the information necessary to make the decision at the location where a decision is to be made.

10: Watch Your Image Resolution

Modern smartphones have staggeringly high resolutions that can look absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately if you are still using low resolution images more appropriate to a web site as your icons, your app will look grainy and fuzzy especially next to all of those native operating system rendered fonts and gradients. Make sure you're using 264ppi or higher images and they should look crisp and clean. There are higher resolution tablets out there than the iPad with Retina (like the Nexus 10 at 300ppi) but 264ppi images will still look crisp and clean even on these devices.

Nokia accessories For your Nokia mobile phone

Nokia accessories are created to make sure that clients make use of every function of the mobile phone to the fullest. These kinds of accessories have true benefits and in addition it enables you to make use of the mobile phone efficiently. You will find number of accessories made with attractive hues, designs and styles in the mobile mart. Almost you will find volume of accessories for every mobile phone. 

You can buy Nokia accessories in addition to personalize mobile phone within your preferred method. The particular requirement with regard to advanced mobile phone accessories is really developing day-by-day simply because users are usually realizing the importance of these mobile phone accessories. 

Nokia accessories could be availed by either by online portals or even by visiting mobile stores. Budget-concerned individuals can opt for cheap Nokia accessories and could carry out their own requirement. From the mobile phone accessories, the most important accessory is mobile phone cases. Mobile phone cases are constructed with top quality materials for example leather, rubber and so forth. 

Leather mobile covers safeguard mobile phone against any type of damage, grime, water as well as from any sudden impacts. You can select mobile phone cases that better suits your need and budget as well. 

USB data cable and memory cards are also helpful accessories as with the help of USB data cable you can transfer information from mobile phone to PC and vice versa. With the help of Bluetooth, you can exchange information with other compatible devices. Another essential accessory is the screen protector. With the help of this accessory, you can protect the sensitive screen of the mobile phone against any type of damage. 

Battery is also an important accessory as it provides capacity to the mobile phone. Without it mobile phone is of no use. Charger is also another essential accessory for mobile phones as it provides power to the mobile phone. 

You should buy Nokia accessories not just for style statement but from the protection aspect as well and which satiates your need. To get more information regarding Nokia accessories as well as cheap Nokia accessories, you can surf various websites and online portals on internet.