Among the world's richest companies by market cap, Google developed the Android operating system.
Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. The first commercial Android device, the HTC Dream, went on sale in 2008. Android is based on a modified Linux kernel and supports smartphones, tablets, televisions, watches, cars, and other devices.
Google acquired Android Inc. in 2005. The acquisition gave Google a foundation for a mobile operating system that could support internet services and a broad hardware ecosystem. Android's open-source elements helped manufacturers adapt the platform, although Google also distributes proprietary applications and services.
Google operates within Alphabet, its parent company since 2015. That relationship creates a common source of confusion: Alphabet is the public parent, while Google is the subsidiary responsible for Android. The market value of Alphabet is measured at the parent-company level, not by Android as a separate listed company.