Android exposes inner workings

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 22 Oct 2008 at 11:20

Google has launched the Android Open-Source Project website, offering the complete source code for its mobile operating system.

"We've all put a lot of effort into the first Android device, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out," says Google software engineer Dave Bort on the website.

"But one device is just the beginning. Android is not a single piece of hardware; it's a complete, end-to-end software platform that can be adapted to work on any number of hardware configurations. Everything is there, from the bootloader all the way up to the applications. And with an Android device already on the market, it has proven that it has what it takes to truly compete in the mobile arena."

Visitors to the website will be able to get hold of the Android source code, but also browse ongoing project lists and discover instructions on contributing to projects.

Android faces fierce competition from the Nokia-led Symbian Foundation, which currently has 52 members, including all the major handset makers.

Its most recent convert was Cambridge-based ARM, which designs the processors that appear in a majority of the world's smartphones.

The first handset based on the Android operating system will be launched in the UK by T-Mobile at the end of the month.