The Android era: From G1 to Jelly Bean

 Google's Android operating system, from its humble beginnings to its current ambitions in smartphone and tablet domination.

Android version	SDK release*	Notable updates
1.0 (G1)	February 2008	GPS and Bluetooth (but not stereo Bluetooth) Multitasking Tight integration with Google services like Gmail, Google Maps (with Street View), and Google Calendar Apps: Amazon MP3 Store; YouTube Android Market (about 35 apps at launch) No Microsoft Exchange Server; no camcorder
1.5 (Cupcake)	April 2009	Universal search box (search had been limited to the Web) Revamped Android Market: Browsing categories (Apps, Games, Downloads) and filters (Top Free, Top Paid, Just In) Camera: Toggle between camera and video modes; integrated photo gallery and camera with bulk photo deleting SDK expands support for gestures, voice-to-text
1.6 (Donut)	September 2009	Virtual onscreen keyboard Camcorder mode for recording (and watching) video Stereo Bluetooth Home screen widgets and folders Copy/paste and search within the browser Direct upload to YouTube and Picasa
2.0 (Eclair)	October 2009	Multiple user accounts Exchange support; universal e-mail inbox Quick Contact pop-up widget to launch communications with friends in the address book Search saved SMS and MMS messages Camera improvements include support for flash and digital zoom Bluetooth 2.1 Keyboard improvements: Adaptive dictionary that includes contact names in suggestions
2.1 (Eclair, second helping)	January 2010	Live wallpaper; five home screens Speech-to-text added to any text field; microphone icon for voice dictation in e-mails, texts, and so on
2.2 (Froyo)	May 2010	Speedier OS USB tethering and hot-spot support Android Market update: Batch and automatic updates; installing apps to the SD card Adobe Flash 10.1 File uploading in the browser Improved Microsoft Exchange support: security policies, global address lookup, calendar sync, remote wipe Bluetooth support for voice dialing and contact sharing
2.3 (Gingerbread)	December 2010	Redesigned copy/paste WebM video compression support NFC (near field communication) support Switch to front-facing camera from camera app Virtual keyboard shortcuts
3.0 (Honeycomb)	February 2011	3D graphics support Side-by-side browser tabs; private browsing Dual-pane modes for address book, e-mail Redesigned UI includes program thumbnails Video chatting with Google Talk Full-screen-mode photo gallery Bluetooth tethering
3.1-3.2.6 (Honeycomb)	May 2011-February 2012	Support for peripherals like keyboards and game pads Resizable widgets "Pay as you go" support for 3G, 4G tablets Various bug-fixes and enhancements
4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)	October 2011	Support for virtual buttons in addition to touch-sensitive buttons Create folders by dragging apps on top of each other A new app tray tab for thumbing through widgets Calendar app now supports pinch-to-zoom Gmail gets offline search, swiping between conversations Revamped Gmail user interface New Chrome browser syncs with your bookmarks, saves pages offline, supports 16 browser tabs More keyboard error correction, inline spell check Customizable lock screen, launcher Recent applications icon "Roboto" typeface New swipe/delete behavior Improved voice integration and copy and paste Face Unlock security feature Data Usage tracking Hide unwanted app icons Shut down apps that are using background data Native camera features include zero shutter lag, continuous focus, zoom while recording, taking a still photo while recording, panorama photos, time lapse settings 1080p recording Face detection in the camera Integrated photo editor New gallery layout, organized by location and person Phone app lets you swipe between favorite friends with integrated visual voice mail Speed up and slow down voice mails Quick message sends canned response text message when you decline a call Android Beam, an NFC feature for exchanging information between two phones by tapping them Wi-Fi Direct support
4.1 (Jelly Bean)	October 2011	Faster, smoother performance with "Project Butter" Expandable notifications with greater interaction Voice search access by swiping up from bottom of the screen Voice actions engine replies to some queries Google Now Offline dictation Default Chrome browser Resizable app widgets (for some) Android Beam support for transferring larger files, like photo and video New filmstrip view of recent shots in the camera app Applications update in Google Play with just the changed code Sound search widget for music ID Higher-resolution contact photos Greater accessibility options Expanded language support, especially for Arabic and Hebrew Interface tweaks
* The date reflects the SDK release rather than the over-the-air (OTA) update timeline since OTA release dates vary by carrier and handset model.

Jelly Bean (Android 4.1)
Less than a year after the Ice Cream Sandwich release, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean builds from Android 4.0 with incremental additions that still pack a lot of punch. Google's Voice Actions has been dusted off, prettied up, and thrown into the spotlight to stand against Apple's Siri. Google also devised Google Now, an optional program that uses your GPS coordinates, calendar, and search history to do anticipate your needs for travel info, sports scores, public transportation routes, and reminders on when to leave to make your appointments on time.
Google has also built out its notifications to let you see and do more whenever you get a new alert, and Android Beam, which now transfers meatier files like photos and video, in addition to URLs, maps, and contact details.