The Android code is open source under the Apache License and is maintained and developed by the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), led by Google.
The first Android-powered phone, the T-Mobile G1 made for T-Mobile USA, was sold in October 2008. Within two years, Android had become the world's leading smartphone platform. As of the third quarter of 2012, Android holds a worldwide smartphone market share of 75% according to data from the IDC, with 500 million total devices activated, along with an additional 1.3 million activations per day. Currently, the top-selling Android phone of all time is the Galaxy S III -- manufactured by Samsung -- which has sold more than 30 million units worldwide as of November 2012.
As of October 2012, there are approximately 700,000 apps available for Android, with a total number of downloads from Google Play (formerly the Android Market) surpassing 25 billion.
The Android operating system has gone through a number of iterations: 1.5 Cupcake, released on April 30, 2009; 1.6 Donut, released on September 15, 2009; 2.0 and 2.1 Eclair, initially released October 26, 2009; 2.2 Froyo released on May 20, 2010; version 2.3 Gingerbread, released December 6, 2010; 3.1 and 3.2 Honeycomb, first released on May 10, 2011; 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, first released on December 16, 2011; and 4.1 and 4.2 Jelly Bean, initially released on July 9, 2012.
The most recent version of the Android OS, 4.2 Jelly Bean, was released on November 13, 2012. There are also rumors of a new version -- named Key Lime Pie -- coming out sometime in 2013.
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