All about Android phones

What a year it's been for Android. The mobile operating system launched rather quietly in 2008 and was nearly left for dead - but picked up momentum near the end of 2009, leading to a veritable Android frenzy.

Android in a nutshell

Android is an open source mobile OS created by Google and characterized by its playful logo and confectionery version names: Cupcake (1.5), Donut (1.6) and Eclair (2.0/2.1). (On the horizon is FroYo, followed by Gingerbread, according to Engadget.) Currently, only the Google Nexus One (sold directly by Google) has the very latest software - Android 2.1; it's likely Google-branded phones will get all the Android goodies first. The biggest deal about the 2.1 software is that it adds multi-touch support, meaning you can pinch and zoom apps, like on the Apple iPhone. Motorola Droid owners will be able to upgrade from version 2.0 to 2.1 as of March 18. Instructions for downloading the update are on Verizon's Droid support website. We have  reviews of best Android phones available in the U.S., including the Droid, as well as some so-so models.

What's new?

There's no word yet on when (or if) phones that run version 1.5 or 1.6 will get multi-touch; this includes the HTC Droid Eris (Verizon), HTC Hero (Sprint), Motorola Cliq (T-Mobile), Motorola Backflip (AT&T), Samsung Behold II (T-Mobile), Samsung Moment (Sprint) and T-Mobile MyTouch 3G. The original Google phone, the T-Mobile G1, launched with Android 1.0 (naturally) and was eventually upgraded OTA to 1.5. There's currently no way to upgrade the OS yourself - you have to wait for OTA updates from your carrier. Two notable upcoming Android phones include the Motorola Devour for Verizon (previously called the Motorola Calgary), which runs 2.1, and the Motorola Cliq XT for T-Mobile, which is essentially the Cliq, but without the hardware keyboard. The Cliq XT will run Android1.5, but will have pinch and zoom, according to Motorola's website.

Android's app store

Like Apple, Google offers its own app store, the Android marketplace. According to an article at MobileCrunch.com, there are currently about 30,000 apps available. For comparison, the Apple app store has over 133, 000 apps available for download as of January 2010. In terms of hardware, sales records indicate that the Motorola Droid outsold the iPhone in its first 74 days of availability. On the other hand, Gearlog.com reports that only about 135,000 Google Nexus One phones were sold in its first 74 days of availability - this can be attributed to the fact that the phone is sold only online and is on T-Mobile's network, a small carrier compared to AT&T and Verizon. Still, it's a bit of a surprise.