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Android officially celebrates its 5th birthday

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When do you celebrates one’s birthday? In some cultures, it’s starts with conception. Others say it’s when you’re actually delivered and come into the world. That being said, depending on how you celebrate birthdays, today is officially Android’s 5th birthday.

Formed in 2007, the Open Handset Alliance was assembled consisting of heavy weights like Google, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and LG, who all banded together, choosing Android as their platform of choice. Here was their creed:

Each member of the Open Handset Alliance is strongly committed to greater openness in the mobile ecosystem. Increased openness will enable everyone in our industry to innovate more rapidly and respond better to consumers’ demands. Our first joint project as a new Alliance is Android™. Android was built from the ground up with the explicit goal to be the first open, complete, and free platform created specifically for mobile devices.

Holy cow, how right they were. We’ve all reaped the benefits of an open ecosystem. Competition has move ahead at blazing (sometimes too fast) speeds, and here we are today with HD displays and quad-core devices in our pocket. Feels good, don’t it?

Android Inc. was originally founded by Andy Rubin — the man who brought you the Sidekick —  and Google snatched him, and Android up, back in 2005.  On November 5th, 2007 — Android was officially announced (although the SDK wasn’t made available until the 12th) and my, how far we’ve come. Here’s a quick ancient YouTube video from the early Android creators introducing their all new mobile platform. (I promised myself I wouldn’t cry).

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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57 Comments

  1. And its a damn good thing otherwise we would be stuck with the boring as ios that would have developed at an even slower pace than it already has

    1. Serious. While the iPhone was good competition for awhile, it was the competition within Android that moved the mobile industry forward at a blistering pace.

    2. Thank you Google for making sure I never had to be a sheep!

      1. A drink to that buddy

  2. Well, damn. 5 years already?
    Happy birthday to my favorite green robot.

  3. I still wanted 5 Nexus devices to be released today!

    1. Hmm… 7 were suppose to come out so let’s see…
      Nexus 7, Nexus 4, Nexus 10. That’s 3!!

      Or is it to be counted as Nexus 7 (4), Nexus 4 (1), Nexus 10 (2). So the different models are the 7 total. LoL!! Wow…

      P.S. The numbers in parenthesis are the total amount of models.

      1. Just give me a 5.5-inch Nexus Note and I can die happy.

        1. I don’t know how I’d control myself if that actually happened . . .

        2. The universe would explode from the sheer awesomeness of a 5.5 Nexus Note (and damn, that name has a nice ring to it!)

        3. I dream of seeing a Nexus Lumia one day. Stupid stubborn Nokia.

    2. I’d be happy with even one that would work on my carrier (Verizon). Google fucked me.

      1. Implying it wasn’t the best sex of your life.

      2. You fucked yourself when you decided to splurge for verizon as your cellular carrier.

      3. Sorry but that’s your fault

  4. Wait!! What about the HTC G1? Didn’t that come out in October? Oh wait!! Dohye!! Android then the next year the HTC G1. =.P

    1. Yup. Android was announced 5 years ago today and next October the G1 will turn 5 — which, if you ask me, is more like Android’s birthday. Seeing how it was “birthed” on the G1.

      1. I miss my G1.That little chin. My first update. Frustrating poor app design. Cyanogen. Gmail. Notification bar which we take for granted now. That iconic little device that started it all. Three cheers for G1.

  5. I love my Galaxy note 2 so much. Nothing can hold a candle to it.

    1. 5 years ago, did you ever think you’d be holding a 5.5-inch smartphone in your pocket?

      1. Heck, last WEEK I didn’t think I would be due to the cost of the thing, until I found a way to make it work this week… waiting for mine to come :D

  6. Lol. Someone is going through and downvoting everyone. Must be an Apple fanboy. :p

    1. I shall upvote EVERYONE to balance it all out. Whoever you are, I’m the Yin to the Yang, which is you. I would not exist without you. You have only yourself to blame.

      1. voted up up up

    2. Seen that a few times before here, the easiest way to tell is when there’s a down vote on a nothing comment that doesn’t deserve the effort of moving the mouse.

      BTW it’s comments like “(I promised myself I wouldn’t cry).” that gives it away that it’s one your articles ;)

    3. Who ever you are…I’m going to find…..And i’m going to kill you *serious emotion*

    4. They would only do that if they felt a little jealous..

  7. Too bad that by “greater openness” they meant mainly for manufacturers and carriers to corrupt it, bloat it, and lock it down…
    But I love Android!

    1. It was always meant for the manufacturer to do with it as they pleased. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be open.

      1. Thats what she said. Somehow it works.

  8. WoW!!! 5yrs already? It’ll be interesting to see what Key Lime Pie brings! I like the enhancements to the notifications in Jellybean.

  9. Happy birthday Andy!

  10. thank you Google for your democracy with mobile OS’s and thank you about forgetting what OEM means for our homes :)

  11. He’s missing 4 more Candles.

  12. I still remember getting my G1

  13. Three years ago today was the Droid, by Motorola, the first “mainstream” Android device. From there, the explosion began and Android never looked back.

  14. They grow up so fast :’)

  15. Who won the nexus 7 tablets?

  16. 5 Years already, damn… Kudos, Mr. Rubin, Google, and everybody else from those old days. I remember you fondly… Even if you don’t remember me any more… *sigh*

  17. Happy birthday to our favorite lil green robot Andy. It sure is amazing how fast the years passed since my first android phone the G1 which I still have in it’s original box and never getting rid of it.

  18. i remember when the G1 came out, i bought it for $35 from some guy who “found it”

  19. I never knew this! My birthday is November 5th as well! First V for Vendetta and now this?? Oh joy!!

  20. “Our first joint project”…I wonder what’s next.

  21. I have to tell ya.
    I haven’ had this much fun with portables since the Palm years.
    I loves me some Android.
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU OPERATING SYSTEM YOU!!!

  22. Happy birthday, Android!

  23. Happy Birthday Android! You who managed to bring Linux to the masses like no Desktop Linux Distribution ever did.
    P.S. Andy Rubin’s Welsh Terrier is so adorable! I love Welshies!

  24. I heard Android has been in development since 2005. Crazy how time flies.

  25. Happy Birthday, Android! =)

  26. Happy 5th Birthday Android 0-75% world market share in 5 years well done.

  27. Nope! This birthday is right if this is the day Android is announced to the world. I can’t believe it’s been this long. Now how about some 5th birthday deals and discounts?

  28. November 5th is my birthday too. :D

    Could it be a sign that I may someday work at Google? Perhaps not, but it’s fun to dream.

  29. I’d count the date it was released for the public to buy. (December 5th 2008) I think this was the date.

  30. http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/

    site hasnt been updated since 2011

  31. happy birthday android! thank you for all the good times, many more to come!

  32. Happy Birthday Android.Chinese market has given you a gift also “High rise in malwares”.

    http://www.opentech4u.com/2012/11/is-android-secure-mobile-operating.html

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