Back on the first Android phone, 10 years later

It's strange to think that only 10 years ago, the concept of an Android phone was still new. At the time, the mobile industry was dominated by three major operating systems. The main player was Apple, who sold the iPhone 3GS. His iPhone OS (the name at the time) worked on 50% of mobile devices on the market. BlackBerry comes next, with 22% of the market and its all-new bold 9000 Bold. Windows was still lagging behind, but it was far from dead. Phones like the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 operated under Microsoft's operating system, giving it an 11% market share.

A new, brave operating system has been implemented in this environment, which has been in development for several years and is supported by Google, thanks to an acquisition made in 2005. Not only has Android benefited from the wealth of Google's pockets, but it also benefited from the link with Google's most popular services, such as Gmail and YouTube. In retrospect, it seems obvious that Android would eventually become the largest mobile operating system in the world, but in 2008, we did not even know how important that title would become.

Even so, even then, Google's first foray into mobile operating systems was a major event. It came in the form of HTC's T-Mobile G1, or HTC Dream as it is known in the United States. The G1 cost $ 179 – which was fairly affordable even then – and featured high-end specifications, including a Qualcomm MSM7201A processor, 192 MB RAM, and 256 MB of internal storage (expandable up to 16 GB) . It also contained a 3.15MP rear camera, a 1,150 mAh battery and much more – see the full list below.

As for the design, it was plastic and cheap, far from the sophistication of the Apple iPhone 3G. It did, however, have a nice, clever slider, which pushed on until revealing a keyboard – a design tactic frequently used at the time. Also typical of mobile phones of this era: it was heavy and thick. Weighing 158 grams, it was only 19 grams less than the modern iPhone XS, a larger and much more technically complex device. At two-thirds of an inch thick, it was also much thicker than anything on the market today.

One last touch on the design: it did not have a 3.5mm headphone jack, but an adapter to use with its proprietary ExtUSB port – although this may be one of the closest features of modern Android devices.

Opinions were mixed with regard to equipment. In particular, the design and lifespan of the G1's battery (5 hours of talk time) has not earned it popularity. However, with respect to software, most agreed that it was an operating system with huge potential.

The G1 was running Android version 1.0 (not yet a dessert theme) and featured features such as custom home screens, widgets, multitasking for apps (even for third-party apps), a notification drawer and the Android Market, which had about fifty apps and games. during the launch. Many of these elements were new ideas that gave much greater priority to an open ecosystem than any other operating system on the market – not to mention the fact that Android was openly available to other manufacturers. devices to use (and customize) seen fit.

This would ultimately be the key to Android's longevity and success, which would give it a market share greater than 85% 10 years later, in 2018. The use of the operating system by other manufacturers has not been at the origin of its popularity and its position as the leading supplier of Apple. competitor, but the open and collaborative ecosystem that he has fostered around apps and customization.

For enthusiasts, Android has become the platform for people who want their device to be unique and individualized. In the beginning, this advantage had a certain cost – Android was tough, with many more bugs and problems – but over the years it has provided a smooth and reliable experience.

It's not perfect, of course. Fragmentation remains a major problem (the rate of iOS users on the latest software compared to Android will still be abominable), and Google is currently collecting a lot of user data. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most interesting parts of the mobile phone industry, although it is a much more mature, stable and, to a certain extent, fixed market. Animated wallpapers at Google Duplex, Android continues to push the boundaries.

We are on the tenth anniversary of an operating system that increasingly covers the world of mobile telephony, not to mention its evolution to new platforms, including cars, wearables and more. We can only manage how it will transform the world over the next 10 years.