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Android (/ˈæn.drɔɪd/; an-droyd) is a Linux-based operating system[11] designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones andtablet computers. Initially developed by Android, Inc., which Google backed financially and later bought in 2005,[12] Android was unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance: a consortium of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.[13] The first Android-powered phone was sold in October 2008.[14]
Android is open source and Google releases the code under the Apache License.[11] This open source code and permissive licensing allows the software to be freely modified and distributed by device manufacturers, wireless carriers and enthusiast developers. Additionally, Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of devices, written primarily in a customized version of the Javaprogramming language.[15] In October 2012, there were approximately 700,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from Google Play, Android's primary app store, was 25 billion.[16][17] A developer survey conducted in April–May 2013 found that Android is the most popular platform for developers, used by 71% of the mobile developer population.[18]
These factors have contributed towards making Android the world's most widely used smartphone platform,[19] overtaking Symbian in the fourth quarter of 2010,[20] and the software of choice for technology companies who require a low-cost, customizable, lightweight operating system for high tech devices without developing one from scratch.[21] As a result, despite being primarily designed for phones and tablets, it has seen additional applications on televisions, games consoles, digital cameras and other electronics. Android's open nature has further encouraged a large community of developers and enthusiasts to use the open source code as a foundation for community-driven projects, which add new features for advanced users[22] or bring Android to devices which were officially released running other operating systems.
Android's share of the global smartphone market, led by Samsung products, was 64% in March 2013. In July 2013 there were 11,868 different Android devices, scores of screen sizes and eight OS versions simultaneously in use. The operating system's success has made it a target for patent litigation as part of the so-called "smartphone wars" between technology companies. As of May 2013, a total of 900 million Android devices have been activated and 48 billion apps have been installed from the Google Play store. 
Android phones now have nearly 80% of the worldwide smartphone market. http://on.wsj.com/19NOjDn
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