Android is an open-source platform based on the Linux kernel , developed by the Open Handset Alliance, led by Google and is installed on thousands of devices from a wide range of manufacturers. Android operating system primarily is designed for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers utilizing ARM processors. Android became the world’s leading smartphone platform at the end of 2010.
Android’s free development tools helps you to start app development at little or no cost. When your app is ready , you can publish it to Google’s Android Market. Publishing to Android Market incurs a one-off registration fee, unlike Apple’s App Store which famously reviews each submission, makes your application available for customers to download and buy after a quick review process. There is a contrast in the way Apple has set up their development environment. Firstly, you need a Mac to develop on iOS. Even if you do have a Mac, you can’t just download XCode (iOS’s SDK) ,you need to sign up for Apple’s Developer Program to get XCode, which comes at a hefty fee. This is quite an investment if you just want to learn about the platform .With Android you can install an app to your phone from any source, not just the Android Market. But with iOS you can only install from the App Store unless you jailbreak your phone and this has a big impact on developers.
Some more advantages of android development are as follows :
- The Android SDK is available for Windows, Mac and Linux, so you don’t need to pay for new hardware to start writing applications.
- An SDK built on Java. If you’re familiar with the Java programming language, you’re already halfway there.
- By distributing your application on Android Market, it’s available to large number of users world wide. Also, there are many app stores available where you can upload your apps..
