Google acquired Android Inc. in 2005, bringing the Android mobile operating system project into Google. Android Inc. had been founded in 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears and Chris White.
The company initially worked on software for smart cameras before shifting its focus toward mobile devices. Google’s acquisition gave the project access to greater resources and connected it to Google’s broader plans for mobile search and internet services.
Android was publicly unveiled in 2007 through the Open Handset Alliance, a group that included Google, device manufacturers, mobile operators and chip companies. The first commercial Android phone was the HTC Dream, also sold as the T-Mobile G1, released in 2008.
Android is sometimes confused with Motorola Mobility, which Google acquired in 2012. Motorola was a hardware business, while Android Inc. was the earlier software acquisition that supplied the foundation for Google’s mobile operating system. Google later sold Motorola Mobility to Lenovo in 2014 while retaining many important Android-related assets.