Android is a Linux-based mobile operating system developed and maintained by Google and created primarily to power smart mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets. The primary interface to interact with the Android operating system is Graphic User Interface (GUI)-based. Users of devices powered by Android manipulate and interact with the operating system environment primarily via a visual touch-based interface by performing gestures such as taps and swipes on the display.

Software can be installed on the Android OS in the form of apps. An app is an application that runs within an environment and performs one or more tasks for the achievement of a goal or a collection of goals. The ability to install applications on mobile devices presented a huge opportunity to both users and application developers. Users take advantage of the features provided by apps to achieve day-to-day goals and developers take advantage of the demand for software applications by developing apps that meet user needs and perhaps make a profit.

To developers, Android provides a vast array of tools and utilities for the development of high-performance applications. These applications can target different markets such as recreation, enterprise, and e-commerce. Applications can also come in the form of games.

Over the course of this chapter, we will explore a number of these tools and utilities, which are provided by the Android application framework, in more detail.