Android Operating System: 8.0.0 "Oreo" / August 21, 2017 Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google , based on the Linux kernel and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets . Android's user interface is mainly based on direct manipulation , using touch gestures that loosely correspond to real-world actions, such as swiping, tapping and pinching, to manipulate on-screen objects, along with a virtual keyboard for text input. In addition to touchscreen devices, Google has further developed Android TV for televisions, Android Auto for cars, and Android Wear for wrist watches, each with a specialized user interface. Variants of Android are also used on game consoles , digital cameras , PCs and other electronics. History: By Calvin Hogg - Own work , CC BY-SA 4.0 Code name Version number Initial release date API level Security patches (No codename)