Android is 5 years old today, and it sure doesn’t feel like it
If you were to randomly wake me up one day and tell me that today is Android’s (and the T-Mobile G1 that held the honors of being the very first Android device) 5th birthday, I’d ask you to slap me and call me silly. Has it really only been 5 years?
It felt so long ago that we were all huddled around our computers, wondering when the illustrious Cupcake (pictured right) and Donut updates would bring us magical new features like widgets, on-screen keyboards and voice controls. A lot has changed, folks, and Android is no longer an infant.
It’s grown into a fine, stable and beautiful mobile operating system that is used to power not just phones, but tablets, set-top boxes, watches, televisions, cars, cameras, home appliances and more. It’s everywhere and on everything, and it came that far in just 5 years.
We’re not sure if Android could have ever grown into the powerhouse it is today without Google, the company that took a chance on Andy Rubin’s big dream. While the original godfather of Android is no longer with that particular team, we’ll never forget his contribution to the mobile world. It was just as big as his stint at Danger (Sidekick) was, and whatever else he’s working on will likely have a fair shot at reaching those same heights.
Android is still striving without Rubin, though. It’s because of its maturation that Rubin was finally able to let go of the reigns and let the awesome team that has been built around Android continue the movement. It started with one device, and now has been activated on more than a billion worldwide (and that number is growing every single day). Here’s to many, many more.