Google acquired Android, Inc. in 2005.
Android, Inc. was founded in Palo Alto in 2003 by Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. The company initially worked on software for digital cameras before shifting its focus toward a mobile operating system.
Google acquired the startup in 2005, bringing Rubin and other members of the Android team into the company. Google later developed Android as an open mobile platform based on the Linux kernel and released the first commercial Android phone, the HTC Dream, in 2008.
Android is often confused with a single phone brand, but it is an operating system used by many manufacturers. Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and other companies have released Android devices. Google develops the Android platform and its own Pixel hardware, while manufacturers and carriers may customize the software.