The Android OS took the IT world by surprise when Google announced it in 2007, as the market was already full of different operating systems running on various mobile handsets. But today, Android has become the dominant smartphone operating system. A group of key players in the communications, hardware and software industries supports this operating system with a digital applications store offering more than 400,000 different apps, which have been downloaded more than 10 billion times since the store's launch in 2008. This rolling success led Andy Rubin, co-founder of Android Inc. and senior vice president of Mobile at Google, to declare that 3.7 million Android devices were activated between Dec. 24 and 25, 2011 alone, with 700,000 daily activations of Android devices around the world. A study conducted by Nielsen, a marketing and advertising research company, found that Android's share of the smartphone market reached 42.8% in Q3 of 2011, while Apple's iOS reached 28.3%, with 17.8% for BlackBerry OS from RIM (Research in Motion), and 1.7% for Symbian OS and 1.2% for Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 OS. Android's history Android is a very interesting operating system, as it can run on smartphones, tablets, laptops, netbooks, e-book readers, TVs, wristwatches (such as I'm Watch), car CD and DVD players, digital cameras, portable media players and other devices. Google bought Android Inc. back in 2005 and established the Open Handset Alliance consortium, which includes 84 communications and hardware and software firms, to develop open standards for mobile devices. The first version of Android was launched on the HTC Dream (also known as T-Mobile G1) smartphone on Sept. 23, 2008, offering integration with Google's services, an Internet browser, a specialized online store to download apps and software updates, support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless networks, instant messaging applications and applications multitasking. Google has released subsequent Android versions under names derived from sweets, such as Cupcake (v1.5), Donut (v1.6), Eclair (v2.0), Froyo (v2.2) and Gingerbread (v2.3). The next major Android edition was Honeycomb (v3.0), which was specialized for handling tablet devices and released on May 10th 2011. The latest release is code-named Ice Cream Sandwich (v4.0), and was offered towards the end of 2011 on select devices. It is considered a revolutionary leap, not an update, as it unifies the Graphical User Interface (GUI) between smartphones and tablet devices, and supports facial recognition unlock, photography enhancements and information sharing using Near Field Communication (NFC) to wirelessly transfer files between various devices. User behavior Nielsen conducted another study and found that Android users repeatedly use Google's services: 89% of them run Android Market, 79% run Gmail, 74% use Google Maps, and 73% use Google Search. This is followed by Facebook (72%) and YouTube (53%), while the game Angry Birds received only 27%. The study also found that Android users prefer messaging applications while spending more time on Facebook: instant messaging applications were used 1,059 times a day for the top four messaging applications (Handset SMS, GO SMS Pro, Gmail and Words With Friends), while running Facebook's app took 2 hours and 46 minutes on average each day (distribution: 62% females, 38% males). A remarkable observation is that Android users want more than just talking over the phone. This was noted due to the fact that the daily amount of time Android users spend talking through the phone constitutes only 3% of their overall device usage time, while the Facebook app adds 40%, with 28% for gaming and 12% for Internet browsing and 17% for other activities. These figures clearly show that a phone is no longer a mere device used to speak with others, but an effective tool for entertainment, communication, Internet browsing and work. Android's digital Market store currently offers more than 400,000 distinct applications, and the monthly volume has reached one billion downloads, clearly showing the operating system's increasing popularity among users. This can be attributed to the availability of a very large number of different applications which meet all needs and suit all tastes, in addition to the applications' low (or free) cost, and the valuable services these applications provide. In December 2011, Google celebrated its 10 billionth application download since the store's launch in 2008, in comparison to 6 billion downloads in June 2011, while Apple is still leading with 18 billion app downloads from its online store. Success in the Arab region Sales of popular smartphones, such as Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Nexus from Samsung, RAZR from Motorola Mobility (Google bought this company in the summer of 2011 for $12.5billion), Optimus 3D from LG and Xperia Play from Sony (previously Sony Ericsson) have helped Android spread successfully in the Arab region. Arab consumers have quickly welcomed and adopted Android, as devices were offered in different editions and prices that suit all consumer groups, with full support for Arabic keyboard and interface and website support. When it comes to tablets, Samsung's Galaxy Tab, Motorola's Xoom had a very effective role in spreading Android in the region. Faisal Al Bannai, CEO of Axiom Telecom, the leading multi-brand and multi-channel distributor and retailer of mobile telecommunications devices, accessories and telecom services in the Middle East, said: “Android's market share has largely increased in 2011, whether in the smartphone or tablet sectors, and we expect more growth for Android in 2012. Android's users need a practical device to meet all of their needs, which is high-quality but budget-friendly. We have recently launched the Bee 7100 touch-and-type smartphone in the GCC market, powered by Android OS with a dual SIM card capacity, for SR399 (US$106), becoming the lowest cost smartphone in the market.” Al Bannai adds: “Although we are witnessing a boom in Android's market share, BlackBerry and iPhone's market is still growing, due to these devices' excellent capabilities in making communication between individuals much easier. Saudi Arabia actually has a mobile penetration rate of more than 200 percent, meaning that many people commonly purchase more than one phone, probably to take advantage of all the different benefits these groups of smartphones offer to the tech-savvy consumer.”
