Android Inc. created the Android operating system before Google acquired the company in 2005.
Android Inc. was founded in 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. The startup initially worked on software for mobile devices. Google acquired Android Inc. in 2005, bringing its founders and technology into Google and turning Android into a major mobile operating-system project.
The first commercial Android phone, the HTC Dream, also known as the T-Mobile G1, went on sale in 2008. Android was built on the Linux kernel and developed as an open platform that device manufacturers could adapt. This approach helped it spread across smartphones from many companies.
A common mistake is to say Google invented Android from the beginning. Google became the owner and principal developer after the acquisition, but Android Inc. existed independently first. The Android brand later became one of Google’s most important consumer technology platforms.