Android DNA

Vision for Android

Our goal is not just a single device. Our vision is a mobile platform that runs on many many different devices.

– Eric Schmidt

Design Philosophy: Why is Android put together the way it is?

Mobile platform that runs on many different devices needs to be friendly for the entire ecosystem.

That includes:

Device manufacturers
Network carriers
App developers
End users

Open Handset Alliance: Let’s do this together!

What is the Open Handset Alliance?

The Open Handset Alliance is a group of 84 technology and mobile companies who have come together to accelerate innovation in mobile and offer consumers a richer, less expensive, and better mobile experience. Together, the alliance has developed Android™, the first complete, open, and free mobile platform. The alliance is committed to commercially deploy handsets and services using the Android Platform.

Manufacturers need an OS they understand

Rock-solid OS, free or charge. Large ecosystem with lots of value in it.

Manufacturers want to customize it

Open-ness is important.

Developers want to make $$

Developers need a friendly platform with good tools

Carriers are looking for alternatives

Alternatives over iEpmire. Plus, options to brand it.

Carriers need great phones users will buy

Users must love it

Ability to fully customize the experience is a big plus.

Users want apps

Half a million apps, and counting…

Not All Open Source is Created Equal

Open source implies availability of source code, not the right to reuse it or modify it.

Open Source Licenses

Android Stack - The Big Picture

Android Stack - A Closer View

Linux Kernel Space

Android is based on a modified Linux kernel.

A permission-based security model
Memory management
Process management
A network stack
A device driver model

BUT:

No standard file system
No standard user-space libraries (e.g. glibc)
No standard config files (e.g. /etc/password, etc.)
No standard command-line utilities (e.g. /bin/cp)

Linux and Android: Getting cozier

Native Layer Overview

Native Layer Details

Dalvik Virtual Machine

Android applications execute in a Dalvik virtual machine (VM).

The Dalvik VM was custom designed for the Android environment; it is not based on the Java VM.
The Dalvik VM executes files in the Dalvik Executable (.dex) format.
Each application process hosts its own Dalvik VM, ensuring strict sandboxing of applications.

Android supports Java as the primary application development language.

The Android SDK includes the dx tool, which compiles Java bytecode to Dalvik bytecode.
The Android Development Tool (ADT) plugin to Eclipse is pre-configured to generate Dalvik bytecode from your Java source.

Framework Layer Details

Example of a Framework

Same OS from phone to tablet, to TV to custom

Media Framework

Audio: AAC LC/LTP, HE-AACv1 (AAC+), HE-AACv2, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, MP3, MIDI, RTTTL/RTX, Ogg, PCM/WAVE
Video: H.263, H.264, MPEG-4, VP8
Images: JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP

Application Sandboxing

An application is an island on its own.

It contains any number of Activities, Services, Receivers and Providers.

It has its own file system, database, place to store native libraries.

No other app can access any of its data without prior permission.

Security Overview

No app can adversely impact other apps, user, or OS

Cannot read/write user’s private data
Cannot read other app’s data
Cannot perform network access
Cannot keep device awake, and so on

Each application is its own sandbox:

To share resources, apps need to request permissions
User must grant permissions at install time

Linux manages security:

Not up to Dalvik (Java) but outsourced to Linux
Native code (NDK) also adheres to sandboxing

File System

The file system has three main mount points. One for system, one for the apps, and one for whatever.

Each app has its own sandbox easily accessible to it. No one else can access its data. The sandbox is in /data/data/com.marakana.yamba/

SDCard is expected to always be there. It’s a good place for large files, such as movies and music. Everyone can access it.

System partition is where the entire Android operating system is, customized by OEM or not.

Enterprise Features: More and more is baked in

Enterprise Support: Mostly just the plumbing

It’s up to the third parties to provide the complete solution.

VPN, or the lack of it

Pre ICS/4.0, Android supported L2TP, L2TP/IPSec PSK, L2TP/IPSec RSA, and PPTP VPNs
ICS/4.0 adds support for pure IPSec VPNs - for better compatibility with commonly deployed VPN endpoints/routers
Also new in ICS/4.0 is the new VPN API that enables SSL VPN clients to be deployed as apps

Android Markets: Oligopolies & Bazaars

Fragmentation: The dirty word?

CTS is a policing tool, but it also protects the consumer. And happy consumer means happy ecosystem.

Bear Hugging: Working with single OEM at a time

The Nexus Brand: Setting the bar for what’s possible

Nexus devices aren’t about $$ - it’s Google’s attempt to "set the bar for what’s possible"
Android wasn’t built to "change the dynamics of the industry"
The goal is for Android to be an ecosystem that enables phone manufacturers to build complete solutions

"I wasn’t trying to go and commoditize a bunch of people and make all their products look the same." - Andy Rubin

Googorola: The next step in vertical integration

"We’re more like Apple than Microsoft" - Andy Rubin

Android vs. Others: Long Term Advantages

Custom devices
Open platform
Large ecosystem
1. and disadvantages
Large ecosystem usually implies less of vertical integration → points of failure

How Android’s Doing So Far

Android is now activating more than 550,000 new devices each day worldwide.

Users downloaded more than 2.4 billion apps in Q3 2011 alone.

Feb 21, 2012: Andy Rubin: 850k Android activations a day, 300m total Google-sanctioned devices, 12m tablets, 450 thousand apps in Android Market

World-wide Market share Q2 2009, 2.8% Q4 2010, 33% Q3 2011, 52.5%

800+ Android devices that have launched to date

The Predictions: Android is unique, and future’s lookin' good

What’s unique about Android DNA is that it is open.

Look for where that matters.

New unique devices: Cars, planes, Space rockets, Tractors
New unique uses: DoD, Public safety, Enterprise
Specialized verticals: Book readers, Point of Sale terminals, Billboards

What will happen next, we do not know.

BUT

We know the future of innovation is on Android.

Thank you - You Guys Rock!

Thank you!

Aleksandar and Marko Gargenta + Marakana Team

@AGargenta

@MarkoGargenta

Slides & video of this presentation is available at Marakana.com