Android Inc. originally developed the Android operating system before Google acquired the company.
Android Inc. was founded in 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. The company initially focused on software for mobile phones, although its work was kept largely secret. Rubin’s team envisioned a smarter mobile platform that could adapt to users and their devices.
Google acquired Android Inc. in July 2005, reportedly for at least $50 million. Rubin and other key employees joined Google, where they continued developing Android as a mobile platform based on the Linux kernel. Google later presented it as an open, flexible alternative for handset makers and wireless carriers.
A common mix-up is naming Google as the original developer. Google created and commercialized the Android platform most people know today, but Android Inc. developed the project before the acquisition. Android was publicly unveiled in 2007, and the first commercial Android phone, the HTC Dream, appeared in 2008.