In 2005, Google acquired a small company known as Android Inc. This marked the beginning of Google’s entry to the mobile technology market. Android is an open source operating system, which is based on Linux technology. By 2010, Android had grown to be the world’s leading and also fastest growing smartphone platform. By the end of the third quarter of 2012, it was estimated that over 500 million devices, which use Android OS had been activated.

The use of this open source operating system has brought in many benefits to users and mobile device developers. Below are the top 5 benefits of Android operating system;

• Freedom to use the software.
• Application in multiple devices.
• Support of 4G networks.
• Ability to use and choose from third party apps.
• Freedom to modify the operating system.

Smartphone and mobile device developers can freely use and even change the operating system to suit their standards and needs. This means that the use of this OS opens up avenues for other cell phone manufacturers to make use of the technology.

Some of the mobile device developers who use this operating system are Motorola Android and HTC. These smartphone manufacturers have been able to design mobile devices, which use customized user-interfaces that are run on the Android base technology. In addition to this, the mobile device developers can also come up with their own apps that are aimed at improving the operating system’s features or simply altering them to fit their device applications.

What this means is that mobile device users are able to enjoy the operating system using different devices from different manufacturers. This is one of the aspects, which have contributed to the fast growth of Android-based mobile devices.

Moreover, the open source OS is not restricted to a single device. It can be used in phones, tablets, notebooks and also ultrabooks. The first Android phone to be designed for the US market was the HTC T-Mobile G1. Many other phones have been designed by other manufacturers and the prospects of growth are high.

Mobile phone manufacturers using Android OS are opening up avenues for improvement in design features, capabilities and components of the devices. This enables end-users enjoy advanced features and applications.

Moreover, the Android open source operating system supports 4G networks such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-mobile. What this means is that users are able to enjoy fast internet connections at affordable costs. Users have also the ability to choose the wireless network they would like to use giving them an option to adopt the connectivity that suits their needs and budget. Besides the ability of other mobile device manufacturers to freely use the open source OS, they can also change it.

Google has been very supportive on any innovations that are introduced by other mobile device manufacturers and it has even financed such innovations. The reason why Google has chose not to get into the design of mobile devices may be due to the fact that it wants to focuss on its core business, which is advertising and brand promotions through the internet.