What is Android

Android is a software package for mobile devices, including operating systems, middleware, and critical applications. The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary for application development on the Android platform using the Java programming language.

Functional characteristics

1. The application framework enables components to be reused and replaced;

2. Dalvik virtual machines optimized for mobile devices;

3. Integrated browser based on open source code---webkit engine;

4. Drive graphics optimization with customized 2D graphics library, 3D graphics based on OpenGL ES1.0 specification (optional hardware acceleration);

5. SQLite-based structured data storage strategy;

6. Multimedia support for general audio/video and image formats, including MPEG4, H. MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF;

7. Bluetooth, EDGE (enhanced Data rate for GSM Evolution), 3G, WiFi (dependent hardware) support;

8. Camera, GPS, compass and accelerator support (hardware dependent);

        9. Rich development environment, including device Simulator, debugging tools, memory and performance analysis, and plug-ins for the Eclipse IDE;