What a long, strange trip it's been. From its inaugural release to today, Android has transformed visually, conceptually and functionally — time and time again. Google's mobile operating system may have started out scrappy, but holy moly, has it ever evolved. Here's a fast-paced tour of Android version highlights from the platform's birth to present. Things were pretty basic back then, but the software did include a suite of early Google apps like Gmail, Maps, Calendar and YouTube, all android pie version which were integrated into the operating system — a stark contrast to the employed today. Cupcake introduced numerous refinements to the Android interface, including the first on-screen keyboard — something that'd be necessary as phones moved away from the once-ubiquitous physical keyboard model. Cupcake also brought about the framework for third-party app widgets, which would quickly turn into one of Android's most distinguishing elements, and it provided the platform's first-ever option for video recording. Google Android's universal search box made its first appearance in Android 1. Eclair was the first Android release to enter mainstream consciousness thanks to phone and the massive Verizon-led marketing campaign surrounding it. The release's most transformative element was the addition of voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation and real-time traffic info — something previously unheard of and still essentially unmatched in the smartphone world. Navigation aside, Eclair brought live wallpapers to Android as well as the platform's first android pie version function. Google The first versions of turn-by-turn navigation and speech-to-text, in Eclair. Froyo did deliver some important front-facing features, though, including the addition of the now-standard dock at the bottom of the home screen as well as the first incarnation of Voice Actions, which allowed you to perform basic functions like getting directions and making notes by tapping an icon and then speaking a command. Google Google's first real attempt at voice control, in Froyo. Notably, Froyo also brought support for Flash to Android's web browser — an option that was significant both because of the widespread use of Flash at the time and because of on its own mobile devices. Apple would eventually win, of course, and Flash would become far less common. But back when it was still everywhere, being able to access the full web without any black holes only Android could offer. Bright green had long been the color of Android's robot mascot, and with Gingerbread, it became an integral part of the operating system's appearance. While the concept of a tablet-specific interface didn't last long, many of Honeycomb's ideas laid the groundwork for the Android we know today. The release refined the visual concepts introduced with Honeycomb and reunited tablets and phones with. And it carried over core system elements android pie version on-screen buttons and a card-like appearance for app-switching. The releases added into the operating system and went a long way in making Android more inviting for the average user. Visuals aside, Jelly Bean brought about our first taste of — the spectacular predictive-intelligence utility that's sadly since. It gave us expandable and interactive notifications, an expanded voice search system and a more advanced system for displaying search results in general, with a focus on card-based results that attempted to answer questions directly. Multiuser support also came into play, albeit on tablets only at this point, and an early version of Android's Quick Settings panel made its first appearance. Jelly Bean ushered in a heavily hyped system fortoo — one that, likequietly disappeared a couple years later.
