With Android operating system (OS) KitKat version 4.

4 rolling out to mobile devices across the

globe, Google is on to somethingAndroid is now more popular than iOS or the Windows
phone. The OS tends to garner rave reviews for its ease of use and open source, but many iOS or
Windows phone users argue that their preferred operating system can do just as much. In some
respects thats true, but here are 10 features unique to Androids OS.
1) Near Field Communication (NFC)
Most Android devices support NFC, which allows electronic devices to easily interact across
short distances. The main aim here is to create a payment option that is simpler than carrying
credit cards or cash, and while the market hasnt exploded as many experts had predicted, there
may be an alternative in the works, in the form of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
2) Alternate Keyboards
Android supports multiple keyboards and makes them easy to install; the SwiftKey, Skype, and
8pen apps all offer ways to quickly change up your keyboard style. Other mobile operating
systems either dont permit extra keyboards at all, or the process to install and use them are
tedious and time-consuming.
3) Infrared Transmission
The Android operating system supports a built-in infrared transmitter, allowing you to use your
phone or tablet as a remote control.
4) No-Touch Control
Using Android apps such as Wave Control, users can control their phones touch-free, using only
gestures. Have messy hands but need to turn off your screen or change a song? Simple. This
could prove especially useful if youre driving, so you can keep both eyes on the road.
5) Automation
The Tasker app lets you not only control app permissions but also automate them. Do you only
want your location services to be active during the day? Want to create a customized way to start
your musicfor example, with a voice command and at a certain volume? Tasker can help.
6) Wireless App Downloads
Accessing app stores on any mobile device can be frustrating, but iOS makes it a little more
difficultdownload an app on your computer, and it wont sync to your mobile device until you
plug in and access iTunes. Using the Android Market or third-party options like AppBrain,

meanwhile, let you download apps on your PC and then automatically sync them your Droid, no
plugging required.
7) Storage and Battery Swap
Android phones also have unique hardware capabilities. Googles OS makes it possible to
remove and upgrade your battery or to replace one that no longer holds a charge. In addition,
Android phones come with SD card slots for expandable storage.
8) Custom Home Screens
While its possible to hack certain phones to customize the home screen, Android comes with
this capability from the get-go. Download a third-party launcher like Nova, Apex or Slide and
you can add gestures, new shortcuts, or even performance enhancements for older-model
devices.
9) Widgets
Apps are versatile, but sometimes you want information at a glance instead of having to open an
app and wait for it to load. Android widgets let you display just about any feature you choose,
right on the home screenincluding weather apps, music widgets, or productivity tools that
helpfully remind you of upcoming meetings or approaching deadlines.
10) Custom ROMs
This is a big one. Because the Android operating system is open source, developers can tweak
the current OS and build their own versions, which users can download and install in place of the
stock OS. Some are filled with features, while others change the look and feel of a device.
Chances are if theres a feature you want, someone has already built a custom ROM for it.
Source: https://www.gazelle.com/thehorn/2014/02/10/the-android-operating-system-10-uniquefeatures/

10. Alternate Keyboards

From text predictors like Swiftkey to the innovative like Swype and the downright
adventurous like 8pen, you have a lot of different keyboard choices on Android.
Typing on a tiny phone keyboard isn't anyone's idea of fun, so it's great that Android
provides so many options to make it as painless for people as possible, and super
easy to install. The iPhone has other keyboards, but they're usually separate apps

that require you to import text to another programit's just the kind of system-level
functionality that's hard to get around.
9. Automation
One of the most powerful, useful Android apps around is Tasker, the automation
program that lets you turn your phone into a superphone. You can turn settings on
and off for certain applications, by location, time of day, and pretty much any other
condition you can think of. With the right commands in place, Tasker can access the
deepest and darkest settings on your phone, which is something you just can't do
on other platforms. Be sure to also check out our second list of Tasker setups, three
handy Tasker profiles from our readers, and how to roll your own "Find my iPhone"
for Android. Similar apps like the battery-saving JuiceDefender would also fall into
this category.
8. Custom Home Launchers

While iPhone users can customize their home screen quite a bit if they've jailbroken, they don't
allow the kind of customization that you can get on Android with custom home launchers. Third
party launchers can add all sorts of extra features to the home screens of your device, like
gestures, different kinds of shortucts, and even low-level settings that can help speed up an older
phone. Whether you're using the super-fast LauncherPro or the insanely customizable
ADWLauncher, third-party launchers add a ton of configuration to your device.
7. Widgets

Sure, they take up a bit of space, but there's no substitute for the convenience of having a big
weather widget right on your home screen, or a music widget to show you the currently playing
track. Even more useful are the to-do list widgets, that take an "in your face" approach to
productivity, which is not only effective but necessary from people, as they don't require you to
actually look for your to-do listthey're always reminding you of what you need to do. If you've
jailbroken, you can get widget-like apps for the iPhone, but you can only put them on your lock
screennot the actual home screens that you're always swiping through.
6. Removable Storage and Battery

It isn't part of the Android software, necessarily, but Android's open nature allows for quite a few
hardware advantages toonamely the ability to take out, swap, and upgrade your battery and SD
card. If you find that you've maxed out the storage on your iPhone, you're pretty much out of
luck, whereas with an Android phone you can pop in a new SD card and have gigabytes more
storage to play with. Similarly, you can swap out a spare battery for longer trips or even get an
extended battery that'll help your phone go longer without charging.
5. Wireless App Installation

Browsing for and discovering new apps should be fun, not challenge to make it through a tiny
app store with your sanity intact. The App Store and Cydia App Store aren't exactly fun to
browse on your phone, but you either have to download apps on your phone or plug it into
iTunes to sync them all over. With the new Android Market, or with third-party sites like
AppBrain, you can find a cool app, hit the install button, and it'll be on your phone the next time
you pick it up. It doesn't get much more convenient than that.
4. Custom ROMs

While there are a lot of third-party apps that give you advanced features on Android, one of the
coolest parts about the entire OS being open source is that people can take it, tweak it all over,
and install their version instead of the one that comes with your phone. Whether it's the featurefilled CyanogenMod or the interface-overhauling MIUI ROM, there's little limit to how much
you can tweak your Android experience. As with launchers, these give you a lot of system-level
tweaks that you just wouldn't be able to get this easily on other platformsand it puts them
easily within users' reach. Whether it's tweaks that speed up your phone or features like FM
radio, custom ROMs are without a doubt one of the biggest advantages to Android's openness
around.
3. Controlling Your Phone From Your Computer

This one's a little more out there, but we've featured quite a few apps that let you actually control
your Android phone from your PCwhether you just want to send texts from Chrome or access
any of its other functions right from a web browser. Yes, you can VNC into your iPhone, but it's
not the same as using a separate app that accesses its baser functions.
2. Flash

Say what you want about Flash, but it's everywhere you go, and when you're forced to view the
web without it, you realize how much you actually rely on it day-to-day. Whether its accessing
fully Flash web sites, watching Flash videos, or playing games like the ones on Kongregate,
having Flash installed on your phone and tablet let you access a lot of things you otherwise
couldn't have. We may grimace when we hear its name, but it's too prevalent to go without. It just
feels like you don't have the whole web at your fingertips.
1. True App Integration

Google Voice may finally be available for the iPhone, but the experience will never be the same
as it is on Android. Other iPhone apps always direct you to the default dialer and visual
voicemail apps, so even if you want to use Google Voice full time, you have to manually
navigate it to yourself. On Android, apps like Google Voice integrate directly with the operating
systemif you want to make calls with Google Voice, every call you make from the phone's
dialer goes through Google Voice. When you click on a phone number in your browser or in

Google Maps, it goes through Google Voice instead of sending you to the wrong dialer. True app
integration like this makes using custom phone, SMS, voicemail, and even browser apps
absolutely seamless on Android, which is something you won't find on the more locked-down
iPhone platform.
Source: http://lifehacker.com/5801862/top-10-awesome-android-features-that-theiphone-doesnt-have

1. Launchers and ROMs

Congrats. You called it.
Of course, the availability of launchers on Googles mobile platform is one of the biggest draws
for Android enthusiasts. The sheer amount of functions you can customize on Android with
launchers outnumbers the features that iOS currently offers which essentially includes
changing your devices wallpaper. Launchers are especially attractive because they usually offer
all of these features without forcing the user to root their device.
You can completely change the look and feel of your device, change animations and graphics,
install custom widgets and completely change up the app drawer. Gesture-controlled actions are
also becoming a major part of launchers as their functionalities are expanding while Android
evolves.
Even if you love stock Android, third-party launchers give users the ability to take a break from
the norm and even add extra functionality to their devices.
Some of the major third-party launchers include:

Nova Launcher

Apex Launcher

Aviate Launcher

Action Launcher

ADW.Launcher

Lightning Launcher

Everything Home

Themer

Smart Launcher

Holo Launcher

Buzz Launcher

And what if you prefer the layout of iOS but want the functionality of Android? Check out
Espier Launcher.
Like Windows Phone? Check out Launcher 8.
ROMs, on the other hand, go a bit deeper. You can install a third-party launcher to run alongside
the ROM, but youll get the ability to expand upon the functionality of your launcher and
Android itself.
Youll be able to overclock (and underclock, in some cases) the devices CPU to improve speed,
stability and battery life, install custom kernels, install the newest versions of Android and also
install hundreds of apps that require root access to your system. Here are just a few of the major
ROMs available to Android users.

Paranoid Android

CyanogenMod

Android Open Kang Project (AOKP)

MIUI

2. Widgets and Lock Screen Apps

Heres another big one. Widgets.
And Im sure the Apple fanboys out there are saying, But iOS 8 is going to have widgets!
Sure. In the notifications tray. iOS 8 will introduce what theyll be calling widgets, but they
only serve as interactive notifications in a card-like format much like what we see now in
Google Now. And if the rumors of the upcoming Android OS come true, the Android notification
bar will essentially become Google Now.

Widgets on Android allow users to place interactive micro-apps on the home screen to provide
information generated by the application they originate from, without the user having to actually
open the application. (Almost) everything can be done right from the home screen. Apples
introduction to the world of widgets is certainly a step forward, but it still doesnt come close
to what Android offers here.
Android also began letting developers create lockscreen widgets, which essentially are widgets,
but can be viewed straight from the lockscreen. That means you dont have to unlock your device
to use them. Quickly glance at the weather, the score in the big game, or even scroll through your
email from the lockscreen without having to enter that pesky PIN.
There are also lock screens like Dynamic Lock Screen that act as a personal assistant of sorts,
providing you with up-to-the-minute notifications, weather and breaking news.
Some interesting widget/lockscreen applications worth checking out include Cover, Beautiful
Widgets, Fancy Widgets and Widgetsoid.
3. Tethering
Tethering on Android may be its least appreciated feature, and maybe even one of its most
valuable. It is for me, at least.
Quick story.
Last fall semester at school, my router suddenly starting acting up. Being the busy, sleepdeprived college student I am, I didnt take the time to fix the router, and instead turned to my
phone to provide my laptop with Internet for the rest of the semester.
How did I do this, you ask?
PdaNet + FoxFi was the answer. The application (which you can download on the Play Store)
lets users tether (connect via USB) their phones to their computers to provide the 4G LTE service
their phone is receiving from the carrier.
Of course this incurs serious data fees, but you wont have to worry if you have unlimited data. I
racked up a record 30+ GB of data by myself one month, something I sort of took pride in (Suck
it, Verizon.)
Okay, I get it. Enough bragging. Back to the power of tethering.
PdaNet also lets users provide their computers (and tablets) with WiFi by turning your phone
into a hotspot. You can even turn your phone into a Bluetooth server. Pretty powerful, huh?

And dont worry when you activate the WiFi hotspot you can even add a password on the
network as well.
Now, there are ways to tether with your iPhone. The methods just arent legally allowed by
Apple, or have to be done through the carrier, using the stock mobile hotspot application, which
costs money for a subscription. Therefore, you wont find any tethering apps on the App Store
anytime soon, unless Apple makes a mistake and misses one.
Google hasnt shown any major signs of cracking down on this (although the carriers must be
furious), so Android users (and myself) should be safe for now.
4. Administrative Features / Storage Options
When you buy a phone, you expect it to be your phone. (Especially when you consider how
much they cost nowadays.) The administrative features available on Android simply go
unmatched when compared with iOS.
The ability to search through every imaginable file in your device with ASTRO File Manager or
ES File Explorer offers a deep power that youre sure to miss out on when using an Apple
device. Sure, theres always the Downloads app, but truthfully, what functionality do you
really get out of that?
Then there are the things we simply take for granted like expandable storage. Yes, thats right.
If you didnt know already, the iPhone does not have expandable storage. Of course you can
purchase the 64GB iPhone, but many would argue that its overpriced and not worth the extra
dollars for the space youre getting. And then there are the people that would go as far as doing
something like this.
Not only can many Android users pop in an SD card to place media (pictures, videos, etc.) on it
after the internal storage in their device gets full, but they can also move apps directly to the SD
card. The flexibility is invaluable.
5. Multi-User Support
Google recognizes that users often share their devices (mostly their tablets) with others in their
family. Most commonly, these others are their kids.
However, most hesitate before handing over their devices to their toddlers to play a game of Fruit
Ninja or Angry Birds. After all, we trust our devices with our lives. If one single file were to be
deleted, it quite simply could mark the end of the universe.

Thats why Android added multi-user support to tablets running Android 4.2 (and above). Simply
open Settings on your device, tap on Users under the Device header, and click on Add
user or profile. This will allow you to and a secondary (or higher) account on your device that
you will have administrative access on. You can restrict the applications and content available to
this user, so you wont have to worry about your kids or a guest having access to your most
important files and apps.
Many device manufacturers including Samsung and HTC have recently added a Kids Mode to
their devices, carrying out a similar function to the one outlined above, but the device takes on a
much more kid-friendly user interface and makes specific games and learning apps available to
the user automatically.
These features make the multi-user support function on Android invaluable to the user and
something many miss when using an iOS device.
Of course this list could go on and on (thats why we love Android, right?) to include the
hundreds of abilities you get when rooting your phone, using icon packs, third-party keyboard
skins (until iOS 8 is released), near field communication abilities, etc., but the possibilities are
so endless that it would take another whole list to go through them.
Source: http://www.talkandroid.com/guides/beginner/here-are-the-top-functions-and-appsavailable-on-android-that-are-not-on-ios/

Android
World is contracting with the growth of mobile phone technology. As the number of
users is increasing day by day, facilities are also increasing. Starting with simple regular
handsets which were used just for making phone calls, mobiles have changed our lives
and have become part of it. Now they are not used just for making calls but they have
innumerable uses and can be used as a Camera , Music player, Tablet PC, T.V. , Web
browser etc . And with the new technologies, new software and operating systems are
required.

What is Android
Operating Systems have developed a lot in last 15 years. Starting from black and white
phones to recent smart phones or mini computers, mobile OS has come far away.
Especially for smart phones, Mobile OS has greatly evolved from Palm OS in 1996 to
Windows pocket PC in 2000 then to Blackberry OS and Android.

One of the most widely used mobile OS these days is ANDROID. Android is a software
bunch comprising not only operating system but also middleware and key applications.
Android Inc was founded in Palo Alto of California, U.S. by Andy Rubin, Rich miner, Nick
sears and Chris White in 2003. Later Android Inc. was acquired by Google in 2005. After
original release there have been number of updates in the original version of Android.

Features & Specifications

Android is a powerful Operating System supporting a large number of applications in

Smart Phones. These applications make life more comfortable and advanced for the
users. Hardwares that support Android are mainly based on ARM architecture platform.
Some of the current features and specifications of android are:

Android comes with an Android market which is an online software store. It was
developed by Google. It allows Android users to select, and download applications
developed by third party developers and use them. There are around 2.0 lack+ games,
application and widgets available on the market for users.

Android applications are written in java programming language. Android is available as

open source for developers to develop applications which can be further used for selling
in android market. There are around 200000 applications developed for android with

over 3 billion+ downloads. Android relies on Linux version 2.6 for core system services
such as security, memory management, process management, network stack, and
driver model. For software development, Android provides Android SDK (Software
development kit). Read more about open source software.

Applications
These are the basics of Android applications:

Android applications are composed of one or more application components

(activities, services, content providers, and broadcast receivers)

Each component performs a different role in the overall application behavior, and

each one can be activated individually (even by other applications)

The manifest file must declare all components in the application and should also

declare all application requirements, such as the minimum version of Android required
and any hardware configurations required

Non-code application resources (images, strings, layout files, etc.) should include

alternatives for different device configurations (such as different strings for different
languages)

Google, for software development and application development, had launched two
competitions ADC1 and ADC2 for the most innovative applications for Android. It offered
prizes of USD 10 million combined in ADC1 and 2. ADC1 was launched in January 2008
and ADC 2 was launched in May 2009. These competitions helped Google a lot in
making Android better, more user friendly, advanced and interactive.

Source: http://www.engineersgarage.com/articles/what-is-android-introduction