Android and the Open Handset Alliance

Summary

Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears and Chris White founded Android Inc. in October 2003. They initially planned an advanced operating system for digital cameras and approached investors with this idea in April 2004. Because that market was small, Android instead began considering a complete alternative to Symbian and Microsoft Windows Mobile.

In July 2005, Google bought Android Inc. for USD 50 million and Rubin, Miner and White switched. Rubin became chief architect and further developed Android based on Linux. In 2006, a prototype similar to a BlackBerry showed the feasibility; the device had no touchscreen and a physical QWERTY keyboard. When the Apple iPhone appeared in 2007, it fundamentally changed the market, and Google extended the specification to support touchscreens as well.

On November 5, 2007, Google founded the Open Handset Alliance with other technology companies, chip manufacturers, device manufacturers and mobile operators. Their goal was an open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices.