Android is currently the most widely distributed smartphone operating system in the world, appearing on hundreds of different handsets from dozens of smartphone producers. The Android market boasts nearly 300,000 free and paid apps and, whilst this is less than the App Store’s 380,000, it is predicted that the number of Android market apps will outstrip the number of App Store apps sometime in mid 2011.

For some it might seem that Android has been around forever, but it only actually appeared on the market in 2008 on the HTC Dream (also sold as the T-Mobile G1). Since that time several updates have appeared, each adding to or improving the OS (as you would expect). As not all Android smartphones can run every version of Android OS, we decided to take a look at each update and show you what they offer.

Did you know?

Every version of Android since 1.5 (Cupcake) has been named after a dessert item, including Froyo (Frozen Yogurt). The latest update, Gingerbread, will be followed by the brilliantly named Ice Cream Sandwich in late 2011. The names also follow an alphabetical order (Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich).

Version 1.0 – Released September 2008

The first Android OS version set the trend for things to come and saw the introduction of key features such as the Android Market and the Google syncronization option.

Main Features:

- Android Market
- Web Browser: Capable of displaying, zooming and Panning full HTML and XHTML web pages
- Camera Support
- Folder View
- Email App: Supports POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP
- Gmail App: Allows syncronization with Google Mail
- People App: Syncronization with Google Contacts
- Calendar App: Syncronization with Google Calendar
- Google Maps: Including Latitude and Street View
- Google Search: Search the internet, contacts, apps and more.
- Google Talk: Instant Messaging App
- IM, SMS and MMS Support
- Media Player: Manage, import and play media, but no stereo Bluetooth.
- Voice Dialling
- Wallpapers: Allows users to change background images
- Youtube video player
- Home Screen
- Picture Gallery
- WiFi Support
- Bluetooth Support

Version 1.1 – Released February 2009

1.1 saw a few improvements and updates to the core apps and features, but it was not really that much of a step forward for the Android OS user.

Main Features/Updates:

- Google Maps: Added support for Google maps, allowing users to see details and reviews on businesses
- Updated Dialer: The ability to show/hide the dialpad, amongst other things
- Updated Messaging: Allows attachments to be saved
- Support for marquee in layout

Version 1.5 (Cupcake) – Released April 2009

The Cupcake update saw some big leaps in terms of usability and performance, particularly the introduction of Widgets. With Cupcake, Android now started to look more like the OS we know and love in 2011.

Main Features/Updates:

- Virtual Keyboard: Support for 3rd party virtual keyboards, text prediction and user dictionary
- Widgets: Mini apps which can be embedded on the Home screen, etc. Allows apps to be more easily accessed from the home screen
- Camera update: Added video support
- Gallery update: Allows video playback
- Bluetooth update: Stereo support added, along with Auto Pairing of devices
- Browser update: Copy and Paste added
- Contacts: Allows users to add contact pictures to Favourites
- Dailer update: Adds date and time stamp in call log and one-touch access to contact card
- Animated screen transitions
- Upload to Youtube: Users can upload videos directly to Youtube
- Upload to Picasa: Users can upload pictures directly to Picasa

Version 1.6 (Donut) – Released September 2009

Donut was all about improving what was already there, rather than adding new features. Updates to the camera, Android market and display support all helped to make the Android package look and feel smarter.

Main Features/Updates:

- Search update: Both voice search and text search enhanced to include bookmarks and history
- Text to Speech: Multi-lingual speech engine, allowing any app the option to “speak” selected text
- Android Market update: Easier searching, addition of app screenshots
- Camera update: Allows for faster camera and camcorder access
- System update: Updated technology support for CDMA/EVDO, 802.1x, VPNs, and a text-to-speech engine
- System update: Faster search
- Display: Added support for WVGA screen resolutions
- Gestures: Expanded Gesture framework and Gesturebuilder dev tool
- Turn-by-turn navigation

Version 2.0/2.1 (Eclair) – Released October 2009

This was where things started to get a lot more polished and impressive. The introduction of live wallpapers did little for a handsets battery life, but they certainly looked good! Almost all of the key components (camera, browser, messaging, display, bluetooth, etc) got themselves an update.

Main Features/Updates:

- Sync update: Multiple accounts can be added to a device for email and contact synchronization
- Email update: Exchange support, Combined inbox to browse email from multiple accounts in one page.
- Bluetooth: 2.1 support
- Contacts update: Users can tap a contact photo and select to call, SMS, or email
- Messaging update: Ability to search all saved SMS and MMS messages. Auto delete at defined limit
- Camera update: Added support for Flash, Digital zoom, Scene mode, White balance and Macro focus
- Virtual keyboard: Improved typing speed and a smarter dictionary which learns from word usage
- Browser update: Refreshed UI, Bookmark thumbnails, Double-tap zoom and support for HTML5
- System update: Optimized hardware speed and a Revamped UI
- Display: Support for more screen sizes and resolutions, Better contrast ratio
- Maps: Improved to Google Maps ver. 3.1.2
- MotionEvent class enhanced to track multi-touch events[22]
- Live Wallpapers: Animated home screen backgrounds

Version 2.2 (Froyo) – Released May 2010

Froyo seemed to be all about speeding things up and smoothing them out. Better memory optimization and an improved app launcher helped to make users experiences of the OS even slicker.

Main Features/Updates:

- System update: Overall speed, memory and performance optimized
- Apps: Application speed improved with the addition of JIT support
- Browser update: Intergration of the V8 javascript engine
- Improved Microsoft Exchange support
- Improved App launcher
- USB Tethering and WiFi Hotspot support added
- Data Access: Option to disable data access over the mobile network
- Android Market update: Added batch and auto update for installed apps
- Voice Dialling over Bluetooth
- Support for numeric and alphanumeric passwords
- Install to expandable memory
- Support for Abobe Flash
- High Dpi Support: Allows for screens such as 4″ 720p

Version 2.3 (Gingerbread) – Released December 2010

Gingerbread is not available for many of the older or cheaper Android handsets (not yet anyway), but it is safe to say that it represents a big leap forward for the OS. Considerable updates to the User Interface and display means that Gingerbread is firmly aimed at HD smartphones. There are also impressive improvements to the file system and how the OS handles games, paving the way for the development of some truly greats software.

Main Features/Updates:

- Google Talk: Support for voice or video chat using Google Talk[34]
- System update: Updated user interface design for simplicity and speed
- Display: Support for extra-large screen sizes and resolutions (WXGA and higher)
- Internet calling: Native support for SIP VoIP
- Virtual Keyboard update: Faster, more intuitive text input, improved accuracy, better suggested text
- Copy/Paste update: Allows users to select a word by press-hold
- Near Field Communication: Lets users read an NFC tag embedded in a poster, sticker, or advertisement
- New audio effects such as reverb, equalization, headphone virtualization, and bass boost
- System update: Improved power management, better management of apps that keep the device awake
- Download Manager: Easy access to any file downloaded from the browser, email, or another application
- Camera update: Access multiple cameras, including a front-facing camera, if available
- Media Support update: WebM/VP8 video playback and AAC audio encoding
- System update: Enhanced support for native code development
- Audio, graphical, and input enhancements for game developers
- Sensor: Support for more sensors (such as gyroscopes and barometers)
- Filesystem: Changed from YAFFS to the ext4 filesystem

Version 3.0 (Honeycomb) – Released February 2011

Honeycomb is a Tablet-only version of the Android OS. First seen on the Motorola Xoom tablet.

Main Features/Updates:

- Optimized tablet support with a new virtual and “holographic” user interface
- System Bar: Quick access to notifications, status, and soft navigation buttons
- Action Bar: Quick access to contextual options, navigation, widgets at the top of the screen
- Multitasking: Tap Recent Apps in the System Bar to quickly jump from one app to another
- Redesigned keyboard: To help make entering text fast and accurate on larger screen sizes
- Copy/Paste: Simplified and more intuitive copy and paste system
- Browser: Multiple tabs instead of browser windows, form auto-fill and anonymous browsing
- Camera: Quick access to exposure, focus, flash, zoom, front-facing camera, time-lapse, and more
- Gallery: View albums and other collections in full-screen mode. Easy access to thumbnails
- Contacts: New two-pane UI and Fast Scroll to let users easily organize and locate contacts
- Email: New two-pane UI to make viewing and organizing messages more efficient
- Google Talk: Support for video chat using Google Talk
- Hardware acceleration
- CPU: Support for multi-core processors

Version 3.1 (Honeycomb update)

- UI refinements
- Support for USB accessories
- Expanded Recent Apps list
- Resizeable Home screen widgets
- Support for external keyboards, pointing devices, joysticks and gamepads
- High-performance Wi-Fi lock, to maintain high-performance Wi-Fi connections

Version ?? (Ice Cream Sandwich) – Expected Released Q4 2011

Officially announced at the 2011 Google I/O conference, Ice Cream Sandwich is being billed as a combination of the Gingerbread and Honeycomb OS’s. Exact details are pretty scarce at the moment, but you should expect some impressive features and updates.