Legal issues

Both Android and Android buzz manufacturers accept been complex in abundant apparent lawsuits. On August 12, 2010, Oracle sued Google over claimed contravention of copyrights and patents accompanying to the Java programming language.[236] Oracle originally approved amercement up to $6.1 billion,[237] but this appraisal was alone by a United States federal adjudicator who asked Oracle to alter the estimate.[238] In response, Google submitted assorted curve of defense, counterclaiming that Android did not borrow on Oracle's patents or copyright, that Oracle's patents were invalid, and several added defenses. They said that Android is based on Apache Harmony, a apple-pie allowance accomplishing of the Java chic libraries, and an apart developed basic apparatus alleged Dalvik.[239] In May 2012, the board in this case begin that Google did not borrow on Oracle's patents, and the balloon adjudicator disqualified that the anatomy of the Java APIs acclimated by Google was not copyrightable.[240][241]

In accession to lawsuits adjoin Google directly, assorted proxy wars accept been waged adjoin Android alongside by targeting manufacturers of Android devices, with the aftereffect of black manufacturers from adopting the belvedere by accretion the costs of bringing an Android accessory to market.[242] Both Apple and Microsoft accept sued several manufacturers for apparent infringement, with Apple's advancing acknowledged activity adjoin Samsung getting a decidedly high-profile case. In October 2011, Microsoft said they had active apparent authorization agreements with ten Android accessory manufacturers, whose articles annual for "70% in the U.S.". and 55% of the common acquirement for Android devices.[243] These cover Samsung and HTC.[244] Samsung's apparent adjustment with Microsoft includes an acceding that Samsung will admeasure added assets to developing and business phones active Microsoft's Windows Buzz operating system.[242]

Google has about bidding its annoyance for the accepted apparent mural in the United States, accusing Apple, Oracle and Microsoft of aggravating to yield down Android through apparent litigation, rather than innovating and aggressive with bigger articles and services.[245] In 2011–12, Google purchased Motorola Mobility for US$12.5 billion, which was beheld in allotment as a arresting admeasurement to assure Android, back Motorola Mobility captivated added than 17,000 patents.[246] In December 2011, Google bought over a thousand patents from IBM.[247]

In 2013, Fairsearch, a lobbying alignment accurate by Microsoft, Oracle and others, filed a complaint apropos Android with the European Commission, alleging that its free-of-charge administration archetypal constituted anti-competitive bloodthirsty pricing. The Free Software Foundation Europe, whose donors cover Google, acknowledged the Fairsearch allegations

Use outside of smartphones and tablets

The accessible and customizable attributes of Android allows it to be acclimated on added electronics abreast from smartphones and tablets, including laptops and netbooks, smartbooks,[249] acute TVs (Android TV, Google TV) and cameras (E.g. Galaxy Camera).[250] In addition, the Android operating arrangement has apparent applications on acute glasses (Google Glass), smartwatches,[251] headphones,[252] car CD and DVD players,[253] mirrors,[254] carriageable media players,[255] landline[256] and Voice over IP phones.[257] Ouya, a video bold animate active Android, became one of the a lot of acknowledged Kickstarter campaigns, crowdfunding US$8.5m for its development,[258][259] and was after followed by added Android-based consoles, such as Nvidia's Project Shield — an Android accessory in a video bold ambassador anatomy factor.[260]

In 2011, Google approved "Android@Home", a home automation technology which uses Android to ascendancy a ambit of domiciliary accessories including ablaze switches, ability sockets and thermostats.[261] Prototype ablaze bulbs were appear that could be controlled from an Android buzz or tablet, but Android arch Andy Rubin was alert to agenda that "turning a lightbulb on and off is annihilation new", pointing to abundant bootless home automation services. Google, he said, was cerebration added ambitiously and the ambition was to use their position as a billow casework provider to accompany Google articles into customers' homes.[262][263]

Parrot apparent an Android-based car stereo arrangement accepted as Asteroid in 2011,[264] followed by a successor, the touchscreen-based Asteroid Smart, in 2012.[265] In 2013, Clarion appear its own Android-based car stereo, the AX1.[266] In January 2014 at Consumer Electronics Show, Google appear the accumulation of the Accessible Automotive Alliance, a accumulation including several above auto makers (Audi, General Motors, Hyundai, and Honda) and Nvidia, which aims to aftermath Android-based in car ball systems for automobiles, "[bringing] the best of Android into the auto in a safe and seamless way."[267]

On March 18, 2014, Google appear Android Wear, an Android-based belvedere accurately advised for smartwatches and added wearable devices; alone a developer examination was fabricated about available.[268] This was followed by the actualization of two Android Wear–based devices, the LG G Watch and Moto 360.[269]

On June 25, 2014, at Google I/O, it was appear Android TV, a Acute TV platform, is replacing the ahead appear Google TV. On June 26, 2014, Google appear Android Auto for the car.