Google developed Android, the mobile operating system that became the iPhone's main rival.
Android was initially developed by Android Inc., founded in 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. Google acquired Android Inc. in 2005 and continued developing the system for smartphones and other devices. The first commercial Android phone, the HTC Dream, was released in 2008.
Android is based on a modified Linux kernel and is distributed through the Android Open Source Project, although many phones also include Google's proprietary mobile services. Samsung is one of Android's largest device makers, but it did not create the operating system. Android also differs from Google's parent company: Google develops Android, while Alphabet is the public holding company created in 2015.