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Android Glossary

The Android Dictionary by Phil Nickinson last updated 29 April 2019

A glossary of Android terms

If you're new to Android, you might find yourself wondering exactly what we're talking about from time to time. As such, here's a Android glossary of terms you're likely to run across.

A

  • Alphabet: Umbrella corporation formed in 2013 by Google CEO Larry Page that wholly owns Google, Inc.
  • Android: Google's open-source mobile operating system. It's used primarily in smartphones but also can be found on tablets, Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) or even in kitchen appliances and automobile navigation.
  • Andy Rubin: Former Vice President of Engineering at Google, overseeing project strategy and development of Android. Founder of Danger, which created the Sidekick and was later bought by Microsoft.
  • AOKP****: The Android Open Kang Project]]. A group that takes the open-source Android code and compiles it with other customizations for multiple devices.
  • AOSP: The Android Open Source Project. When you hear about Android being “open source,” this is what we're talking about. It's a repository of the code released by Google, which can be downloaded and compiled by anyone. (If you know how.)
  • Apps: Short for “applications.” The programs you download and run on a smartphone. Can be free, or for sale.
  • AT&T: One of the four major U.S. carriers.
  • Android AWS: Stands for Advanced Wireless Services. It is a band of frequencies used for cellphone connectivity, occupying the combined 1700MHz and 2100MHz frequencies (aka 1700/2100MHz.) Used primarily by T-Mobile USA for HSPA+ service, and by other carriers for LTE service.

B

  • Android Bloat(ware): Applications — usually unwanted — that are preloaded onto a device. It's a bit subjective as to what constitutes bloatware, and the flip side is that these applications are what allow carriers to sell phones and tablets at subsidized prices.
  • Bluetooth: A short-range radio build into smartphones that lets you connect headsets, speakerphones or even computers to your smartphone.
  • Android Bootloader: An internal mode on a phone that helps in the flashing of ROMs and other behind-the scenes actions.

C

  • Android CDMA: One of two major standard for cell phone communications. Is used by Sprint and Verizon in the United States, and by a few nations elsewhere. Is largely seen as a dying standard. (See also GSM)
  • CES: North America's largest consumer electronics show, held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
  • Civilian: What we lovingly call a non-smartphone nerd. Someone who doesn't buy a phone every few months.
  • Command line: In Windows, it's a DOS prompt or Command Prompt. In Linux or Mac, it's Terminal.
  • CTIA: A U.S. convention of the wireless industry. Nobody really knows what the abbreviation stands for anymore.

D

  • DLNA: Dynamic Living Network Alliance. A method for wirelessly streaming photos and videos from your smartphone to your TV.
  • Droid: An extremely popular horizontal slider made by Motorola on the Verizon network. The first to run Android 2.0 (and Android 2.0.1). Is currently running Android 2.1. Also the name for a line of Verizon Android phones.

E

  • Earth: Mostly harmless.
  • EOL: Stands for “End of Life.” Means a carrier or manufacturer is phasing out a particular product. It does not necessarily mean that phone or tablet is bad, nor will anyone come and take your EOL'd device away from you.
  • ETF: Stands for Early Termination Fee. Also known as an ETF, it's what a carrier chargers you to break out of your contract. Usually are prorated.

F

  • Fastboot: Another mode akin to the bootloader, from which you can manually flash low-level components onto a phone.
  • FC: Short for “force close,” meaning an app that has crashed.
  • Froyo: Android 2.2. Announced at Google IO in May 2010, first released onto the Nexus One. (More on Android versions here.)

G

  • Galaxy: The brand name for Samsung's mobile ecosystem.
  • Geotagging: Wherein in your phone finds your location via GPS and attaches coordinates to pictures you're taking. Can be a privacy/security concern.
  • Gingerbread: Android 2.3. Mostly a behind-the-scenes update, though there are some UI tweaks. First loaded on the Nexus S. (More on Android versions here.)
  • Google Now]]: An enhanced, location-aware section within the Google search app. Offers timely info, such as weather updates, transit times and locations, photo spots and travel times when out and about.
  • Google Play]]: Google's one-stop online shop for movies, music, apps, games and books. At the time of its launch on March 6, 2012, it basically was a rebranded Android Market.
  • Google TV]]: Announced at the Google IO conference in May 2010, it's a combination of hardware and Android that features a full web browser, Android applications, and combines it with video that's available online – Youtube, television, etc. Now defunct, and missed by nobody.
  • Google Wallet]]: Google's early attempt at a mobile payment system based on NFC. Has since been replaced by Android Pay. (Google Wallet lives on as a peer-to-peer payment system.)
  • Gorilla Glass: A scratch-resistant glass product from Corning used on a number of smartphones and tablets.
  • GPS: Stands for Global Positioning System. Uses a constellation of satellites in space to find your location on the ground.
  • GSM: One of two major standard for cell phone communications. Is used by AT&T and T-Mobile in the United States, and by the majority of carriers worldwide. (See also CDMA)

H

  • Hack (Hacking): Modifying the Android system to add customization, features, or bypass carrier and manufacturer restrictions. See root.
  • Hard reset: The act of resetting your phone to its “factory” state. Erases all user data, logins and passwords. May or may not erase what's on the internal storage or microSD card, too. (Also see soft reset.)
  • Honeycomb: Android 3.0. The first version of Android designed with tablets specifically in mind. Allows apps to “fragment” or split over a single screen. Is the first Android version to fully support dual-core processors. The first tablet with Honeycomb was the Motorola Xoom.
  • HTC: A Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer. And a darn good one.
  • Huawei: A major Chinese manufacturer, handles infrastructure as well as handsets and tablets. Gold Nexus 6P.

I

  • Ice Cream Sandwich: Android 4.0. The follow up to the tablet-centric Android 3.0/3.1 that brought Honeycomb-like features back to Android smartphones. First appeared on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
  • IFA: Internationale Funkausstellung — an annual consumer electronics show hosted in Berlin, Germany. International, and funky — just as described.
  • IMEI: Stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. Basically a unique identification number assigned to every phone.
  • Intel: The longtime processor manufacturer. Entered the Android arena in 2012 with its “Medfield” Atom processor. At CES 2012, announced a deal with Motorola. Four years later, threw in the towel.
  • IPS: Stands for “in-plane switching.” Gives better viewing angles and better color reproduction. First gained popularity in Apple displays, then made its way to mobile devices.

J

  • JIT: The Just-in-Time Compiler. Released with Android 2.2, it's a method of greatly speeding up apps in Android on the software side.

K

  • Kernel: The basic Linux building block of Android. It's what lets your phone do its thing.
  • Keyboard: Either “physical” or “on-screen,” depending on the phone.
  • KitKat: Android 4.4. Released with the Nexus 5, KitKat brought a flat style and big changes to Android, along with a partnership with Hershey USA. (More on Android versions here.)

L

  • Launcher: Collectively, the part of the Android user interface on home screens that lets you launch apps, make phone calls, etc. Is built in to Android, or can be purchased in the Android Market.
  • Legacy: Code name for “old.”
  • LG: A Korean electronics and smartphone manufacturer.
  • Linux: An open source variant of Unix that is used as the underlying system on Android devices. Next year will always be the year of Linux on the desktop, but every year is the year of Linux in your pocket.
  • Lollipop: Android 5.0 - 5.1.1. Released with the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9, Lollipop brought Material Design and 64-bit support to Android. (More on Android versions here.)
  • LTE: Stands for “Long-Term Evolution.” Is considered to be one of the “true” methods of 4G data (even if it technically isn't). First rolled out by Verizon in late 2010, and then by AT&T in late 2011, and Sprint will begin using it in mid-2012.

M

  • Manufacturer: A company that physically builds cell phones.
  • Marshmallow: Android 6.0 - 6.0.1. Released with the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6P, Marshmallow brought major security features and improved battery life with doze. (More on Android versions here.)
  • MetroPCS: Regional and Prepaid carrier in the U.S. generally put in the “second tier” carrier category. Now part of T-Mobile USA.
  • Motorola: Manufacturer of smartphones and other hand-held wireless devices.

N

O

  • OTA: Stands for Over the Air. The act of moving data to your phone — downloading, really— without having to plug it in. Most Android system updates are OTA, as are application downloads.

P

  • Pixel: An individual dot on the display. Also a way to measure the resolution of a camera (usually in millions of pixels). Pixels usually are made up of sub-pixels. The arrangement of those sub-pixels affects the way you see images and text.
  • Android PPI: Pixels per inch. How we determine a display's “pixel density.” The more pixels in a display, the better graphics and text look.

Q

  • Q:uit asking us when your phone will be updated.

R

  • RTFM: Read the (ahem) friggin' manual.

S

  • SIM card: The little card used in nearly every phone that connects the phone to the network. Generally refers to a physical card, though some phones may have a virtual SIM — and a few use both.

T

U

V

W

X Y Z

  • Xiaomi: A China-based manufacturer of phones, tablets, cameras and all sorts of cool gadgets.
  • ZTE: A China-based company that focuses on mid-range Android devices.
android_glossary.txt · Last modified: 2024/05/01 04:32 by 127.0.0.1
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