Starting Android App Development

So you want to develop cool applications or games for Android. We will go through some of the basic stuff to get you started in this post.

Things you need (aside from a computer and maybe an android device)

• Knowledge in Java
  
  To create native Android apps, those normal apps that you download from Android Market and use on your phone, you need to know Java.
  
• Android SDK + IDE
  
  To begin with native app development, first download Android's SDK and a suitable IDE (integrated development environment) to help you compile and test your code on the android emulator. IDEs that support android development would include Eclipse and Netbeans.
  
  Check out android dev website for more details.
  
  OR
  
• Knowledge in Web Programming
  
  With Phone Gap, an alternative you can consider would be creating HTML5 apps. Javascript is necessary for to call Phone Gap's API to access the phone's hardware features.
  
  Be warned, the features are limited as compared to native apps. Such apps are usually geared towards mobile websites with an app feel with more functionality.

Why get an Android?

The iPhone craze started the world-wide trend for smart phones. Well, smart phones existed before that, but none had the features that made the modern smart phone popular like capacitive touch screens (using styluses just wasn't that convenient or maybe cool for some), simple and user friendly UIs and of course, tons of useful apps that flood Apple's iTunes store or Android's Market Place.

Now that I have ranted on about the smart phone craze, why get an android? The first thing that Singaporeans love to hear is dollars and sense.


Price


Unlike the iPhone's standard price tag, Android smart phones have a wide price spectrum ranging from the blazing fast high-end Samsung Galaxy Series (that upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3) to the lower-end androids that you can get for $0 when you re-contract your mobile phone plan but still does cool stuff that most of us need.

So there's an android for everyone, now the switch to touch phones might not go well for the older folks but that's just something to get used to.

Touch Screens


This may be the key factor that held older folks from switching over to the smart + touch screen phones. After all, they have spent years perfecting the art of typing out smses on such small keypads and might not feel the need to learn something new. However, the touch screen is something intuitive and becomes easier to use once you get the hang of it.

Not to mention the cool stuff you get to do with touch screens like doodling or even engage in the current craze of on-line Pictionary games via Facebook.


Features


Here's a quick list of features you can expect from your Android

Android's Marketplace

• Media (music / video / pictures) Playback
• Internet Surfing Capability 
• Camera / Video Recording
• A Marketplace full of Applications (free / paid)

The last feature about apps is one of the most important parts about the Android. You can easily download productivity apps (office for mobile), addictive games (or mind challenging ones) and many other cool stuff.

You can view the apps available at Android's Marketplace to get an idea of what they offer.

If your mobile contract's up and you're still stuck on that old keypad phone, you might want to try out the Android for its features.

Android OS

What is Android?

Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It is developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google. The Android code is open-source.


Android Versions

2.2 Eclair
2.2 Froyo
2.3 Gingerbread
3.0 Honeycomb
3.1 Honeycomb
3.2 Honeycomb
4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich

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