Xiaomi Mi 3 full specification and Buy now

Xiaomi Mi 3

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Accelerate your life

The fastest Mi phone ever

A dragon in your pocket

Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 8274AB 2.3GHz processor, Adreno 330 450MHz GPU, 2GB LPDDR3 RAM, and eMMC 4.5 flash memory. 

Experience your favourite games and apps at blazing speeds with the latest and most powerful processor from Qualcomm - 8274AB.

2GB LPDDR3 RAM

LPDDR3 is 50 percent faster than its predecessor

and consumes 20 percent less power.

Stunningly beautiful

5-inch IPS display. Full HD at 16:9.

See crisp details in 1080p HD video or rich textures in 3D game environments. Your photos look more vibrant in your hands now. Our full-screen, anti-glare coating gives you high screen readability wherever you go.

13MP camera with dual-LED flash

Take amazing photos in low light with a super-large Exmor sensor and an f/2.2 aperture. The built-in Phillips dual-LED flash quickly adds the perfect lighting to make your subjects beautiful. Never miss another photo opportunity again.

Power through your day

• 500 hours of standby time
• 50 hours of music playback
• 25 hours of talk time
• 21 hours of 3G Internet use

Lose the wires

Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4Ghz/5Ghz) gives you the room to go wireless and still enjoy high speed Internet access. NFC (Near Field Communication) gives you the contactless freedom to augment your digital lifestyle.

Amazing from the inside out

Mi 3 is 8.1mm thin, 145 grams light, and houses an aluminum-magnesium alloy frame, coated with 3 layers of thermal graphite.

Make Android yours

We listen. The features in MIUI are based on the feedback we get from our 35 million users. We are constantly looking for new ways to make MIUI more useful, more secure, and more fun. We work around the clock (and drink much coffee) to fix bugs, and deliver new updates to your phone as quickly as possible.

Technical Specifications 

Weight and dimensions

Chipset
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 8274AB
CPU	XT 712
GPU	Adreno 330

Camera
Camera (back)	13 Megapixels
Aperture	f2.2
Wide-angle	28mm
Flash	dual-LED
Camera (front)	2 Megapixels
Sensor type	Stacked CMOS Both cameras (front and back) support 1080p HD video recording

* Mi 3 supports Mini SIM cards.

Connectivity
Cellular and wireless	Supports 3G(WCDMA) and 2G(GSM) networks
Frequencies	2G:GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz 3G:WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz
Data services	GPRS/EDGE/DC-HSPA+(42Mbps)
GPS	GPS + GLONASS, AGPS
Bluetooth	Bluetooth®4.0, Bluetooth HID
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi Display，Wi-Fi Direct，5GHz Wi-Fi

OTG USB                  Yes

Battery
Capacity	3050mAh lithium-ion battery

                           

Multimedia
Microphone	Supported
NFC	Supported
Haptic feedback	Supported

RAM
RAM	2GB RAM
Flash Memory	16 GB

Display
Display	5-inch Full HD 1080p LCD touch display
IPS	IPS Retina display manufactured by Sharp or LG
PPI	441
Resolution	1920x1080 FULL HD
Touch sensor	Supported

Video
Video Recording	1080p HD video recording
Others	Video stabilizer

Audio
Software	Dirac         HD sound

Sensors
Gyroscope	Supported
Light sensor	Supported
Accelerometer	Supported
Proximity sensor	Supported
Electronic compass	Supported
Barometer	Supported

Operating System
Android	4.3 optimized with MIUI version 5

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Windows 8

Windows 8 is a version of Microsoft Windows (an operating system developed by Microsoft) for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablets, and home theater PCs. Development of Windows 8 started before the release of its predecessor, Windows 7, in 2009. It was announced at CES 2011, and followed by the release of three pre-release versions from September 2011 to May 2012. The operating system was released to manufacturing on August 1, 2012, and was released for general availability on October 26, 2012.
Windows 8 introduces significant changes to the operating system's platform, primarily focused towards improving its user experience on mobile devices such as tablets to better compete with other mobile operating systems like Android and Apple's iOS. Windows 8 features a new touch user interface and shell based on Microsoft's "Metro" design language, featuring a new Start screen with a grid of dynamically updating tiles that represent applications. The Start screen replaces the "Start menu" of earlier Windows versions. There is a new app platform with an emphasis on touchscreen input, and the new Windows Store to obtain and/or purchase applications to run on the operating system.
In addition, Windows 8 takes advantage of new or emerging technologies like USB 3.0, 4Kn Advanced Format, near field communications, cloud computing, and the low-power ARM architecture. It includes new security features such as built-in antivirus capabilities, a new installation process optimized for digital distribution, and support for secure boot (a UEFI feature which allows operating systems to be digitally signed to prevent malware from altering the boot process). Synchronization of certain apps and settings between multiple devices is supported.
Windows 8 was released to mixed reception. Although reaction towards its performance improvements, security enhancements, and improved support for touchscreen devices was positive, the new user interface of the operating system has been widely criticized for being potentially confusing and difficult to learn (especially when used with a keyboard and mouse instead of a touchscreen). Despite these shortcomings, 60 million Windows 8 licenses have been sold through January 2013. This includes upgrades and sales to OEMs for new PCs.
Windows 8.1 is scheduled for release in late 2013 and, according to Microsoft, will change "key aspects" of how Windows 8 is used,  including the reinstatement of the Start button.

Developer
Microsoft Corporation
Website	windows.microsoft.com
Releases
Initial release	August 1, 2012; 11 months ago
General availability	October 26, 2012; 8 months ago
Latest stable release	6.2 (Build 9200) (August 1, 2012; 11 months ago)
Latest preview release	6.3 (Build 9431)
License	Proprietary commercial software
Kernel type	Hybrid
Update method	Windows Update
Platform support	IA-32, x64, and ARM
Preceded by	Windows 7 (2009)
Support status
Start date: October 30, 2012 Mainstream support: Until January 9, 2018 Extended support: Until January 10, 2023

Development history

Windows 8 development started before Windows 7 had shipped in 2009. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2011, Microsoft announced that the next version of Windows would add support for devices with ARM microprocessors, and showcased an early version of what would become Windows 8, NT 6.2 build 7867, running on several prototype ARM devices. Details also began to surface about a new application framework for Windows 8 codenamed "Jupiter", which would be used to make "immersive" applications using XAML (similarly to Windows Phone and Silverlight) that could be distributed via a new packaging system and a rumored app store.
Three milestone releases of Windows 8 leaked to the general public. Milestone 1, Build 7850, was leaked on April 12, 2011. It was the first build where the text of a window was written centered instead of aligned to the left. It was also probably the first appearance of the Metro-style font, and its wallpaper had the text shhh... let's not leak our hard work. However, its detailed build number reveals that the build was created on September 22, 2010. The leaked copy edition was Enterprise edition. The OS still reads as "Windows 7". Milestone 2, Build 7955, was leaked on April 25, 2011. The traditional Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) was replaced by a new Black screen, although this was later scrapped. This build introduced a new ribbon in Windows Explorer. Build 7959, with minor changes but the first 64-bit version, was leaked on May 1, 2011. The "Windows 7" logo was temporarily replaced with text displaying "Microsoft Confidential". On June 17, 2011, build 7989 64-bit edition was leaked. It introduced a new boot screen featuring the same fish as the default Windows 7 Beta wallpaper, which was later scrapped, and the circling dots as featured in the final (although the final version comes with smaller circling dots throbber). It also had the text Welcome below them, although this was also scrapped.
On June 1, 2011, Microsoft unveiled Windows 8's new user interface as well as additional features at both Computex Taipei and the D9: All Things Digital conference in California.
The "Building Windows 8" blog launched on August 15, 2011, featuring details surrounding Windows 8's features and its development process.

Windows Store apps

Windows 8 introduces a new style of application, Windows Store apps. According to Microsoft developer Jensen Harris, these apps are to be optimized for touchscreen environments and will be more specialized than current desktop applications. Apps can run either in a full-screen mode, or be snapped to the side of a screen. Apps can provide toast notifications on screen or animate their tiles on the Start screen with dynamic content. Apps can use "contracts"; a collection of hooks to provide common functionality that can integrate with other apps, such as search and sharing. Apps can also provide integration with other services; for example, the People app can connect to a variety of different social networks and services (such as Facebook, Skype, and People service), while the Photos app can aggregate photos from services such as Facebook and Flickr.
Windows Store apps run within a new set of APIs known as the Windows Runtime, which supports programming languages such as C, C++, VB.NET, C#, along with HTML5 and JavaScript. Depending on the language used, apps written for Windows Runtime can be compatible with both Intel and ARM versions of Windows. Components may be compiled as Windows Runtime Components, permitting consumption by all of the Windows Runtime supported languages. To ensure stability and security, apps run within a sandboxed environment, and require permissions to access certain functionality, such as accessing the Internet or a camera.
Retail versions of Windows 8 will be able to install these apps only through the Windows Store—a namesake distribution platform which offers both apps, and listings for desktop programs certified for comparability with Windows 8. A method to sideload apps from outside the Windows Store is available to devices running Windows 8 Enerprise and joined to a domain; Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT devices that are not part of a domain can also sideload apps, but only after special product keys are obtained through volume licensing.
The term "Immersive app" had been used internally by Microsoft developers to refer to the apps prior to the first official presentation of Windows 8, after which they were referred to as "Metro-style apps" in reference to the Metro design language. The term was phased out in August 2012; a Microsoft spokesperson denied rumors that the change was related to a potential trademark issue, and stated that "Metro" was only a codename that would be replaced prior to Windows 8's release. Following these reports, the terms "Modern UI-style apps", "Windows 8-style apps" and "Windows Store apps" began to be used by various Microsoft documents and material to refer to the new apps. In an interview on September 12, 2012, Soma Somasegar (vice president of Microsoft's development software division) confirmed that "Windows Store apps" would be the official term for the apps.

Web browsers

Exceptions to the restrictions faced by Windows Store apps are given to web browsers; the user's default browser can provide a "New experience enabled" (formerly "Metro-style enabled") version that runs within the "Metro" shell like other apps. Web browser apps are distributed alongside desktop web browsers, and also have access to functionality unavailable to other apps, such as being able to permanently run in the background, use multiple background processes, and use Windows API code instead of WinRT (allowing for code to be re-used with the desktop version, while still taking advantage of WinRT features such as contracts to integrate with charms).
The developers of both Chrome and Firefox committed to developing versions of their browsers to run in this environment; while Chrome's "Windows 8 mode" uses the existing desktop interface, Firefox's Metro version (which is currently available in development builds) uses a touch-optimized interface inspired by the Android version of Firefox.

Interface and desktop

Windows 8 introduces significant changes to the operating system's user interface, many of which are aimed at improving its experience on tablet computers and other touchscreen devices. The new user interface is based on Microsoft's Metro design language, and uses a Start screen similar to that of Windows Phone as the primary means of launching applications. The Start screen displays a customizable array of tiles linking to various apps and desktop programs, some of which can display constantly updated information and content through "live tiles". As a form of multi-tasking, apps can be snapped to the side of a screen. Alongside the traditional Control Panel, a new simplified and touch-optimized settings app known as "PC Settings" is used for basic configuration and user settings. It does not include many of the advanced options still accessible from the normal Control Panel.
A vertical toolbar known as the charms (accessed by swiping from the right edge of a touchscreen, or pointing the cursor at hotspots in the right corners of a screen) provides access to system and app-related functions, such as search, sharing, device management, settings, and a Start button. The traditional desktop environment for running desktop applications is accessed via a tile on the Start screen. The Start button on the taskbar has been removed in favor of the Start charm and a hotspot in the lower-left corner of the screen, which displays a large tooltip displaying a thumbnail of the Start screen. Swiping from the left edge of a touchscreen or clicking in the top-left corner of the screen allows one to switch between apps and the Desktop. Pointing the cursor in the top-left corner of the screen and moving down reveals a thumbnail list of active apps. Aside from the removal of the Start button, the desktop on Windows 8 is similar to that of Windows 7, except that the Aero Glass theme has been replaced by a flatter, solid-colored design inspired by the Metro interface.

Secure boot

See also: Unified Extensible Firmware Interface#Secure boot and Hardware restrictions#Windows 8

Windows 8 supports a feature of the UEFI specification known as "Secure boot", which uses a public-key infrastructure to verify the integrity of the operating system and prevent unauthorized programs such as bootkits from infecting the device.
Microsoft faced criticism (particularly from free software supporters) for mandating that devices receiving its optional certification for Windows 8 have secure boot enabled by default using a key provided by Microsoft. Concerns were raised that secure boot could prevent or hinder the use of alternate operating systems such as Linux. In response to the criticism, Microsoft developer Tony Mangefeste stated that "At the end of the day, the customer is in control of their PC. Microsoft's philosophy is to provide customers with the best experience first, and allow them to make decisions themselves."
Microsoft's certification requirements eventually revealed that UEFI firmware on x86 systems must allow users to re-configure or turn off secure boot, but that this must not be possible on ARM-based systems (Windows RT). Microsoft faced further criticism for its decision to restrict Windows RT devices by using this functionality. Tom Warren, in an article on The Verge, said that other smartphones and tablets are typically sold in a locked-down state. No mandate is made regarding the installation of third-party certificates that would enable running alternative software.

Removed features

Main article: List of features removed in Windows 8

Several notable features have been removed in Windows 8, beginning with the traditional Start menu. Support for playing DVDs has been removed from Windows Media Player due to the cost of licensing the necessary decoders (especially for devices which do not include optical disc drives at all) and the prevalence of streaming services such as Netflix. For the same reasons, Windows Media Center will no longer be included by default on Windows 8, but the software (which also includes support for DVD playback) can be purchased in the "Pro Pack" (for the base version of Windows 8, which also upgrades the system to Windows 8 Pro) or "Media Center Pack" (for Windows 8 Pro) add-ons. Windows 8 will still support third-party DVD playback software.
Backup and Restore, the former backup app of Windows, is deprecated. It still ships with Windows 8 and continues to work on preset schedules, but is pushed to the background and can only be accessed through a Control Panel applet called "Windows 7 File Recovery". Shadow Copy, a component of Windows Explorer that once saved previous versions of changed files, no longer protects local files and folders. It can only access previous versions of shared files stored on a Windows Server computer. The subsystem on which these components worked, however, is still available for other software to use.

Hardware requirements

PCs

The minimum system requirements for Windows 8 are slightly higher than those of Windows 7. The CPU must support the Physical Address Extension (PAE), NX bit, and SSE2. Windows Store apps require a screen resolution of 1024×768 or higher to run. They require a screen resolution of 1366×768 or higher for snap functionality. To receive certification, Microsoft requires candidate x86 systems to resume from standby in 2 seconds or less.

Minimum hardware requirements for Windows 8

Tablets and convertibles

Microsoft released minimum hardware requirements for new tablet and convertible devices certified for Windows 8, and defined a convertible form factor as a standalone device that combines the PC, display and rechargeable power source with a mechanically attached keyboard and pointing device in a single chassis. A convertible can be transformed into a tablet where the attached input devices are hidden or removed leaving the display as the only input mechanism. On March 12, 2013, Microsoft amended its certification requirements to only require that screens on tablets have a minimum resolution of 1024×768 (down from the previous 1366×768). The amended requirement is intended to allow "greater design flexibility" for future products.Tablets and convertibles

Hardware certification requirements for Windows tablets

Software compatibility

The three desktop editions of Windows 8 are sold in two sub-editions: 32-bit and 64-bit. The 32-bit sub-edition runs on CPUs compatible with x86 architecture 3rd generation (known as IA-32) or newer, and can run 32-bit and 16-bit applications, although 16-bit support must be enabled first. (16-bit applications are developed for CPUs compatible with x86 2nd generation, first conceived in 1978. Microsoft started moving away from this architecture since Windows 95.)
The 64-bit sub-edition runs on CPUs compatible with x86 8th generation (known as x86-64, or x64) or newer, and can run 32-bit and 64-bit programs. 32-bit programs and operating system are restricted to supporting only 4 gigabytes of memory while 64-bit systems can theoretically support 2048 gigabytes of memory. 64-bit operating systems require a different set of device drivers than those of 32-bit operating systems.

Windows RT, the only edition of Windows 8 for systems with ARM processors, only supports applications included with the system (such as a special version of Office 2013), supplied through Windows Update, or Windows Store apps, to ensure that the system only runs applications that are optimized for the architecture. Windows RT does not support running IA-32 or x64 applications. Windows Store apps can either support both the x86 and ARM architectures, or compiled to support a specific architecture.

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Android (operating system)

Android is a Linux-based operating system designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Initially developed by Android, Inc., which Google backed financially and later bought in 2005, Android was unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance: a consortium of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. The first Android-powered phone was sold in October 2008.
Android is open source and Google releases the code under the Apache License. This open source code and permissive licensing allows the software to be freely modified and distributed by device manufacturers, wireless carriers and enthusiast developers. Additionally, Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of devices, written primarily in a customized version of the Java programming language. In October 2012, there were approximately 700,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from Google Play, Android's primary app store, was 25 billion.

These factors have contributed towards making Android the world's most widely used smartphone platform,overtaking Symbian in the fourth quarter of 2010, and the software of choice for technology companies who require a low-cost, customizable, lightweight operating system for high tech devices without developing one from scratch. As a result, despite being primarily designed for phones and tablets, it has seen additional applications on televisions, games consoles, digital cameras and other electronics. Android's open nature has further encouraged a large community of developers and enthusiasts to use the open source code as a foundation for community-driven projects, which add new features for advanced users or bring Android to devices which were officially released running other operating systems.
Android had a worldwide smartphone market share of 75% during the third quarter of 2012, with 750 million devices activated in total and 1.5 million activations per day. The operating system's success has made it a target for patent litigation as part of the so-called "smartphone wars" between technology companies. As of May 2013, a total of 900 million Android devices have been activated and 48 billion apps have been installed from the Google Play store.

History

Android, Inc. was founded in Palo Alto, California in October 2003 by Andy Rubin (co-founder of Danger), Rich Miner (co-founder of Wildfire Communications, Inc.), Nick Sears (once VP at T-Mobile), and Chris White (headed design and interface development at WebTV) to develop, in Rubin's words "smarter mobile devices that are more aware of its owner's location and preferences". The early intentions of the company were to develop an advanced operating system for digital cameras, when it was realised that the market for the devices was not large enough, and diverted their efforts to producing a smartphone operating system to rival those of Symbian and Windows Mobile (Apple's iPhone had not been released at the time). Despite the past accomplishments of the founders and early employees, Android Inc. operated secretly, revealing only that it was working on software for mobile phones. That same year, Rubin ran out of money. Steve Perlman, a close friend of Rubin, brought him $10,000 in cash in an envelope and refused a stake in the company.

Google acquired Android Inc. on August 17, 2005, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Google. Key employees of Android Inc., including Rubin, Miner and White, stayed at the company after the acquisition. Not much was known about Android Inc. at the time, but many assumed that Google was planning to enter the mobile phone market with this move. At Google, the team led by Rubin developed a mobile device platform powered by the Linux kernel. Google marketed the platform to handset makers and carriers on the promise of providing a flexible, upgradable system. Google had lined up a series of hardware component and software partners and signaled to carriers that it was open to various degrees of cooperation on their part.

Android's user interface is based on direct manipulation, using touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching and reverse pinching to manipulate on-screen objects. The response to user input is designed to be immediate and provides a fluid touch interface, often using the vibration capabilities of the device to provide haptic feedback to the user. Internal hardware such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and proximity sensors are used by some applications to respond to additional user actions, for example adjusting the screen from portrait to landscape depending on how the device is oriented, or allowing the user to steer a vehicle in a racing game by rotating the device, simulating control of a steering wheel.
Android devices boot to the homescreen, the primary navigation and information point on the device, which is similar to the desktop found on PCs. Android homescreens are typically made up of app icons and widgets; app icons launch the associated app, whereas widgets display live, auto-updating content such as the weather forecast, the user's email inbox, or a news ticker directly on the homescreen. A homescreen may be made up of several pages that the user can swipe back and forth between, though Android's homescreen interface is heavily customisable, allowing the user to adjust the look and feel of the device to their tastes. Third party apps available on Google Play and other app stores can extensively re-theme the homescreen, and even mimic the look of other operating systems, such as Windows Phone. Most manufacturers, and some wireless carriers, customise the look and feel of their Android devices to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Present along the top of the screen is a status bar, showing information about the device and its connectivity. This status bar can be "pulled" down to reveal a notification screen where apps display important information or updates, such as a newly received email or SMS text, in a way that does not immediately interrupt or inconvenience the user. In early versions of Android these notifications could be tapped to open the relevant app, but recent updates have provided enhanced functionality, such as the ability to call a number back directly from the missed call notification without having to open the dialer app first. Notifications are persistent until read or dismissed by the user.

Applications

Play Store on the Nexus 4

See also: Android software development and Google Play

Android has a growing selection of third party applications, which can be acquired by users either through an app store such as Google Play or the Amazon Appstore, or by downloading and installing the application's APK file from a third-party site. The Play Store application allows users to browse, download and update apps published by Google and third-party developers, and is pre-installed on devices that comply with Google's compatibility requirements. The app filters the list of available applications to those that are compatible with the user's device, and developers may restrict their applications to particular carriers or countries for business reasons. Purchases of unwanted applications can be refunded within 15 minutes of the time of download, and some carriers offer direct carrier billing for Google Play application purchases, where the cost of the application is added to the user's monthly bill. As of September 2012, there were more than 675,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from the Play Store was 25 billion.
Applications are developed in the Java language using the Android software development kit (SDK). The SDK includes a comprehensive set of development tools, including a debugger, software libraries, a handset emulator based on QEMU, documentation, sample code, and tutorials. The officially supported integrated development environment (IDE) is Eclipse using the Android Development Tools (ADT) plugin. Other development tools are available, including a Native Development Kit for applications or extensions in C or C++, Google App Inventor, a visual environment for novice programmers, and various cross platform mobile web applications frameworks.

In order to work around limitations on reaching Google services due to Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China, Android devices sold in the PRC are generally customized to use state approved services instead.

Development

Android is developed in private by Google until the latest changes and updates are ready to be released, at which point the source code is made available publicly.This source code will only run without modification on select devices, usually the Nexus series of devices.With others, there are proprietary binaries which have to be provided by the manufacturer in order for Android to work.

Linux

Architecture diagram

Android consists of a kernel based on Linux kernel version 2.6 and, from Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich onwards, version 3.x, with middleware, libraries and APIs written in C, and application software running on an application framework which includes Java-compatible libraries based on Apache Harmony. Android uses the Dalvik virtual machine with just-in-time compilation to run Dalvik 'dex-code' (Dalvik Executable), which is usually translated from Java bytecode. The main hardware platform for Android is the ARM architecture. There is support for x86 from the Android-x86 project, and Google TV uses a special x86 version of Android. In 2013, Freescale announced Android on its i.MX processor, i.MX5X and i.MX6X series.

Android's Linux kernel has further architecture changes by Google outside the typical Linux kernel development cycle. Android does not have a native X Window System by default nor does it support the full set of standard GNU libraries, and this makes it difficult to port existing Linux applications or libraries to Android. Support for simple C and SDL applications is possible by injection of a small Java shim and usage of the JNI like, for example, in the Jagged Alliance 2 port for Android.

Update schedule

From left to right: HTC Dream (G1), Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus

See also: Android version history

Google provides major updates, incremental in nature, to Android every six to nine months, which most devices are capable of receiving over the air. The latest major update is Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Compared to its chief rival mobile operating system, namely iOS, Android updates are typically slow to reach actual devices. For devices not under the Nexus brand, updates often arrive months from the time the given version is officially released. This is caused partly due to the extensive variation in hardware of Android devices, to which each update must be specifically tailored, as the official Google source code only runs on their flagship Nexus devices. Porting Android to specific hardware is a time- and resource-consuming process for device manufacturers, who prioritize their newest devices and often leave older ones behind.Hence, older smartphones are frequently not updated if the manufacturer decides it is not worth their time, regardless of whether the phone is capable of running the update. This problem is compounded when manufacturers customize Android with their own interface and apps, which must be reapplied to each new release. Additional delays can be introduced by wireless carriers who, after receiving updates from manufacturers, further customize and brand Android to their needs and conduct extensive testing on their networks before sending the update out to users.

Market share and rate of adoption

Research company Canalys estimated in the second quarter of 2009 that Android had a 2.8% share of worldwide smartphone shipments. By the fourth quarter of 2010 this had grown to 33% of the market, becoming the top-selling smartphone platform. By the third quarter of 2011 Gartner estimated that more than half (52.5%) of the smartphone market belongs to Android. By the third quarter of 2012 Android had a 75% share of the global smartphone market according to the research firm IDC.
In July 2011, Google said that 550,000 new Android devices were being activated every day, up from 400,000 per day in May, and more than 100 million devices had been activated with 4.4% growth per week. In September 2012, 500 million devices had been activated with 1.3 million activations per day. In May 2013, at Google I/O, Sundar Pichai announced that 900 million Android devices had been activated.
Android market share varies by location. In July 2012, Android's market share in the United States was 52%, and rose to 90% in China.

Usage share of Android versions

Usage share of the different versions collected during a 14-day period ending on May 1, 2013

Usage share of the different versions as of June 3, 2013.

Version	Code name	Release date	API level	Distribution (June 3, 2013)
4.2.x	Jelly Bean	November 13, 2012	17	4.0%
4.1.x	Jelly Bean	July 9, 2012	16	29.0%
4.0.x	Ice Cream Sandwich	December 16, 2011	15	25.6%
3.2	Honeycomb	July 15, 2011	13	0.1%
3.1	Honeycomb	May 10, 2011	12	0%
2.3.3–2.3.7	Gingerbread	February 9, 2011	10	36.4%
2.3–2.3.2	Gingerbread	December 6, 2010	9	0.1%
2.2	Froyo	May 20, 2010	8	3.2%
2.0–2.1	Eclair	October 26, 2009	7	1.5%
1.6	Donut	September 15, 2009	4	0.1%
1.5	Cupcake	April 30, 2009	3	0%

Beyond smartphones and tablets

The Sony SmartWatch: an example of how Android is used on electronics other than smartphones and tablets

The open and customizable nature of Android allows it to be used on other electronics, including laptops and netbooks, smartbooks smart TVs (Google TV) and cameras (Nikon Coolpix S800c and Galaxy Camera). In addition, the Android operating system has seen applications on smart glasses (Google Glass), wristwatches, headphones, car CD and DVD players, mirrors, portable media players and landlines and Voice over IP phones. Ouya, an upcoming videogames console running Android, became one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns, crowdfunding US$8.5m for its development, and was later followed by other Android-based video games consoles such as Project Shield from Nvidia.
In 2011, Google demonstrated "Android@Home", a new home automaton technology which uses Android to control a range of household devices including light switches, power sockets and thermostats.Prototype light bulbs were announced that could be controlled from an Android phone or tablet, but Android head Andy Rubin was cautious to note that "turning a lightbulb on and off is nothing new," pointing to numerous failed home automation services. Google, he said, was thinking more ambitiously and the intention was to use their position as a cloud services provider to bring Google products into customers' homes.

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