Android Case Study

In an influential 2011 article, “Android: Changing the Mobile Landscape,” Margaret Butler, founder and CEO of a company that creates mobile applications, convinces readers that Androids rapid development through recent years making Android a huge success, winning hearts of both consumers and mobile application developers [1]. In November 2007, an open platform for all kinds of mobile devices were introduced [2]. This development is led by multiple companies under the umbrella of the Open Handset Alliance, which is a global alliance between technology and mobile industry leaders with an aim of developing and fostering a breed of innovation for mobile devices allowing a better user experience [2]. Android gives operators and manufacturers unprecedented

The cause of such growth is google partnering up with service providers to give consumers more android handset choices, for instance, HTC, Samsung, LG and much more [1]. The partnering has been beneficial because users are given the opportunity to select affordable handsets of different models [1]. In 2010, 200,000 Android handset were being sold each day whereas only 80,000 iPhones were being sold each day [1]. To support the view that Android is climbing its way up the ladder of success, evidence was presented showing the North American smartphone unit sales by quarter [1]. The graph that was provided shows that iPhone’s unit sales were around 3 million per quarter in all six quarters, Blackberry was steady throughout each quarter with 5 to 6 million per quarter and Androids sales grew considerably each quarter [1]. The comparison between all the different smartphone units’ sales by quarter helps support the view that Android is rising its way to popularity and also to becoming the market leader beating all the other handsets [1]. The second evidence used was one that shows the North American smartphone OS market share in the form of a pie chart [1]. The pie chart shows that Android became the market leader with 39 percent market share in 2010 [1]. Android undoubtedly beats both blackberry and Apple iOS

However, this may not only stop android from becoming the victim of malicious software that steal personal information from their users [1]. No malware was found causing severe harm to any user so far but this may become an issue for android in the future [1]. In July 2010, Google announced the AIA (App Inventor for Android) which aimed to make mobile development accessible to anyone [1]. This allowed users to control their own privacy and security [1]. AIA was also used in a ‘technovation challenge’ which was a program that encouraged young woman to become entrepreneurs [1]. Woman were taught how to create mobile phone applications using the AIA [1]. This led to a woman being able to do anything technical and also led to more people creating mobile services [1]. According to Gartner, smartphone sales are increasing faster than feature phone sales. At this rate, the smartphone will overtake feature phones [1]. In fall 2009, universities taught an alpha version of AIA to teach courses for non- computer science majors [1]. AIA was taught to people in a hope of examining how information technology have helped improve lives of politically and economically disempowered people around the world [1]. The introduction of AIA has introduced programming concept to a whole new audience in technical discourse and also engaged them