Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Android
  4. Mobile
  5. News

Happy eighth birthday, Android! Google’s cake salutes previous versions

By
Add as a preferred source on Google

Eight years ago on September 23, Google released Android 1.0. Today, the mobile operating system has more than 80 percent of the smartphone market around the world.

Despite many issues, like a fragmented update process, increased anti-competitive scrutiny by European powers, and increased malware attacks, the operating system has grown remarkably within that short 8-year span.

Recommended Videos

Android’s Twitter account said the company was “whipping up something sweet for a big day” on Saturday. The image in the tweet showed Bugdroid, Android’s green mascot, whisking some eggs next to ingredients including marshmallows, nougat, and Kit Kat bars.

If you’re unaware, the ingredients refer to versions of Android — 4.4 KitKat, 6.0 Marshmallow, and the more recent 7.0 Nougat. Turns out, the announcement was commemorative as we expected.

8 epic years. Naturally, we're celebrating with some of our favorite treats. #Android pic.twitter.com/t2GPZWSCJj

— Android (@Android) September 24, 2016

Still, Android and Chrome OS Senior Vice President, Hiroshi Lockheimer, tweeted the following: “We announced the 1st version of Android 8 years ago today. I have a feeling 8 years from now, we’ll be talking about Oct. 4, 2016.”

Android Police says we’ll be seeing more than the crop of hardware devices expected to launch at Google’s October 4 event in San Francisco. Google may offer a sneak peak at Andromeda, the codenamed project that merges Android and Chrome OS. This would mark one of the biggest changes to Android since its initial release.

We announced the 1st version of Android 8 years ago today. I have a feeling 8 years from now we'll be talking about Oct 4, 2016.

— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) September 24, 2016

The company is expected to launch Google Home, Daydream VR, a Chromecast, and a Wi-Fi router at the event. There hasn’t been much news about Android Wear 2.0 since I/O, but it’s still in beta and expected to launch this fall.

Android, Inc. was founded in 2003, and Google bought the company in 2005. The first Android-powered handset, the HTC Dream, was released in 2008.

Julian Chokkattu
Julian Chokkattu
Former Mobile and Wearables Editor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
Topics
Vivo X500 Pro Max first impressions: Vivo came to play, and the competition should be nervous
Vivo X500 Pro Max

Vivo could have played it safe with the X500 series. Give the phones a slightly faster processor, slap on a new coat of paint, throw around a few AI buzzwords, and call it a day. Nobody would have been particularly surprised. Thankfully, Vivo seems to have had other ideas.

The new X500 lineup consists of three phones: the X500, X500 Pro, and X500 Pro Max. But don't let the names fool you into thinking these are simply three sizes of the same phone. Each model has its own identity, with differences in display size, processing power, and camera hardware. The X500 gets a 6.59-inch display and the Dimensity 9600M, while the compact X500 Pro packs a 6.36-inch screen and the flagship Dimensity 9600 Pro. Then there's the X500 Pro Max, the big boss of the family, with a larger display, upgraded cameras, and the same flagship silicon.

Read more
Google Messages is getting a powerful new weapon against sneaky text scams
Google Messages is getting smarter about scams, with Gemini helping catch threats before you fall for them.
Scam Detection in Google Messages

Scam messages aren't always as obvious as a suspicious link or a text claiming you've won a lottery you never entered. Some scammers are clever enough to start perfectly normal conversations, gradually earn your trust, and only reveal what they're after when it's too late.

Google wants to make those tricks harder to pull off. Earlier this month, the company announced a new Enhanced Protection mode for Google Messages, and it's now starting to roll out to Android users. The optional setting adds more powerful AI-based scam detection, smarter checks for suspicious links, and extra warnings designed to keep you from making a costly mistake.

Read more
Apple is exploring ways to make Safari websites less cramped on its foldable iPhone
Great hardware, but Safari still needs room to breathe.
Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

Spending $1,999 on a foldable and then squinting at a crammed web page isn’t something that anyone wants.

Apple’s Safari team said Friday it is exploring a way for websites to use more of the iPhone Duo’s outer display. Right now, a column of Safari controls swallows a chunk of the screen.

Read more