Unfolding Stakeholder Thinking: Theory, Responsibility and Engagement

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The source code for Android is open-source: it is developed in private by Google, with the source code released publicly when a new version of Android is released. In current versions of Android, " Toybox", a collection of command-line utilities (mostly for use by apps, as Android does not provide a command-line interface by default), is used (since the release of Marshmallow) replacing a similar "Toolbox" collection found in previous Android versions. The open and customizable nature of Android allows device makers to use it on other electronics as well, including laptops, netbooks, [468] [469] and desktop computers, [470] cameras, [471] headphones, [472] home automation systems, game consoles, [473] media players, [474] satellites, [475] routers, [476] printers, [477] payment terminals, [478] automated teller machines, [479] inflight entertainment systems, [480] and robots. Android devices account for more than half of smartphone sales in most markets, including the US, while "only in Japan was Apple on top" (September–November 2013 numbers).

Despite its success on smartphones, initially Android tablet adoption was slow, [402] then later caught up with the iPad, in most countries. However, not every developer agreed that piracy rates were an issue; for example, in July 2012 the developers of the game Wind-up Knight said that piracy levels of their game were only 12%, and most of the piracy came from China, where people cannot purchase apps from Google Play.

The vulnerability came by exploiting a bug in the multitasking system enabling a malicious app to overlay legitimate apps with fake login screens that users are not aware of when handing in security credentials. Google engineer Patrick Brady once stated in the company's developer conference that "Android is not Linux", [197] with Computerworld adding that "Let me make it simple for you, without Linux, there is no Android".

In the summer of 2019, Huawei announced it would create an alternative operating system to Android [71] known as Harmony OS, [72] and has filed for intellectual property rights across major global markets. Internal hardware, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and proximity sensors are used by some applications to respond to additional user actions, for example adjusting the screen from portrait to landscape depending on how the device is oriented, [85] or allowing the user to steer a vehicle in a racing game by rotating the device, simulating control of a steering wheel. By the fourth quarter of 2010, its worldwide share had grown to 33% of the market becoming the top-selling smartphone platform, [350] overtaking Symbian.As stated by Bloomberg: "As smartphones get more capable, complex and hackable, having the latest software work closely with the hardware is increasingly important".

Along the top of the screen is a status bar, showing information about the device and its connectivity. The recent list may appear side-by-side or overlapping, depending on the Android version and manufacturer. The response to user input is designed to be immediate and provides a fluid touch interface, often using the vibration capabilities of the device to provide haptic feedback to the user. This conclusion stemmed from the fact that no security updates were issued for the Android versions below 7.The company then decided that the market for cameras was not large enough for its goals, and five months later it had diverted its efforts and was pitching Android as a handset operating system that would rival Symbian and Microsoft Windows Mobile. Android is developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance, though its most widely used version is primarily developed by Google.

F-Droid, another alternative marketplace, seeks to only provide applications that are distributed under free and open source licenses. This made it difficult to port existing Linux applications or libraries to Android, [208] until version r5 of the Android Native Development Kit brought support for applications written completely in C or C++. In January 2012, Microsoft said they had signed patent license agreements with eleven Android device manufacturers, whose products account for "70 percent of all Android smartphones" sold in the US [449] and 55% of the worldwide revenue for Android devices. Google announced in April 2010 that they would hire two employees to work with the Linux kernel community, [196] but Greg Kroah-Hartman, the current Linux kernel maintainer for the stable branch, said in December 2010 that he was concerned that Google was no longer trying to get their code changes included in mainstream Linux.By 2008, both Nokia and BlackBerry announced touch-based smartphones to rival the iPhone 3G, and Android's focus eventually switched to just touchscreens. Additionally, Firebase was acquired by Google in 2014 that provides helpful tools for app and web developers.