List of Android glossary and technical terms

Using an Android phone is not a big deal these days as almost everyone carries a smartphone. Even for beginners who are new to such devices, there are various youtube tutorials through which you can learn to use a smartphone and get to know its features. However, despite its small size, your Android phone is a highly complex and powerful piece of technology. This is why even when you think you are fully aware of your smartphone features there are so many Android terms that we are unaware of.

To help our audience understand these terms and to be fully aware of them we have written down this complete list of Android glossary and technical terms.

A

ADB: The Android Debug Bridge, also known as the Android Debug Bridge, is a developer tool that allows you to send commands to an Android smartphone that has been linked to your computer.

Android Studio: Android Studio comes with a code editor, multiple code templates that you can use as the foundation of your app, device simulators for checking your apps, along a few additional development tools. Developers utilize Google’s software development kit, a set of programming apps and tools, abbreviated SDK to create apps for Android devices.

API: A.P.I. is an abbreviation for Application Programming Interface. APIs are functions that developers can use to access certain features by utilizing programs, code, and services developed by others.

ARM: ARM is a CPU architecture that is often seen in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. While ARM-based CPUs vary. They may be found in both small mobile devices and high-end servers.

Air time: Air time is the monthly amount of talk minutes that comes with your mobile phone contract.

B

Baseband: The baseband of your phone is, in a brief, the section of the phone that manages radio connections cellular and Wi-Fi, for example. The phone’s baseband is made up of a processing chip and code that function in the background.

Bloatware: Mostly Android phones come pre-installed with applications. Aside from these, the carrier offers a number of apps that are deemed “value-add” and require a payment. These extra programmes are referred to as “bloatware” since they use important system memory and storage space.

Bootloader: A bootloader is a piece of software that runs before your phone’s operating system even starts up. Bootloaders often perform certain early startup checks and related tasks before ordering your operating system to boot up. The bootloader works in the background.

C

Custom ROM: Since Android is an open source project, you may create your own custom ROM and add valuable features to it. The majority of manufacturer Android devices include a built-in ROM, sometimes known as stock ROM.

D

Dalvik and ART: They enable Android applications to operate. Android apps are generally built on Java, and ART (and before that, Dalvik) are the components of Android that compile the Java code for execution on your device. The updated ART component is quicker and makes advantage of contemporary processor characteristics more effectively than the older Dalvik component.

E

Emulator: To run your favourite Android applications and games on a bigger PC or Mac screen, you’ll need a “emulator,” which simulates the mobile experience for a larger screen.

F

Fragmentation: Variety of smartphone is what always seizes customer’s attention. While this diversity can be beneficial, it can also lead to drawbacks such as apps that do not work on all current devices or delayed adoption of new Android updates. This possible issue is frequently referred to as “fragmentation” by observers.

G

Geotag: It is a piece of data included in popular media formats that provides geographical position information. Geotags are commonly used as metadata in images, videos, and even SMS messages, and typically contain GPS coordinates describing where the content was made.

Gingerbread: Android versions 2.3 through 2.3.7 were given this codename. Officially released on December 6, 2010.

H

High Dynamic Range is an abbreviation for a photographic method in which numerous images taken at various exposures are merged into a single image. By carefully processing data from a sophisticated sensor with a broad dynamic range, some current phones can shoot HDR photographs in a single shot.

I

IPS: In-Plane Switching (IPS) is a display technology used in LCD panels. The viewing angle of an IPS panel is greater. the other popular LCD technology that has largely eliminated the color-shifting flaws that have typically plagued LCDs They also have a larger colour range and can reproduce more colours properly.

IMEI: The IMEI is a 15-digit serial number that identifies a GSM or UMTS mobile phone. It is divided into four sections and transmits information to the mobile network, such as the manufacturer. It’s commonly printed on the device’s underside, near the battery.

J

Jelly Bean: Android versions 4.1 through 4.3.1 were given this code name. On July9,2012, it was first released.

K

Kernel: In Android and other Linux-based systems, base-level software that converts app requests into code that hardware such as the CPU can comprehend. Users may install a modified kernel to increase functionality and introduce extra hardware controls such as double-tap to open.

KitKat: Android versions 4.4 through 4.4.4 have this codename. On October31,2013, it was first released.

L

Linux: Linus Torvalds designed an open source desktop operating system in 1991 that would eventually serve as the foundation for Android.

LineageOS: A well-known custom ROM that has been made available for a broad range of devices.

M

Magisk: TopJohnWu designed a systemless platform that can root your phone and give the structure for Magisk modules without tripping.

MEID: “Mobile Equipment Identifier” is an abbreviation for “Mobile Equipment Identifier.” Similar to IMEI, this is another format for a unique serial number provided to cellphones in order for a carrier to identify the specific unit on their network.

N

Nexus: They are Google’s previous range of gadgets developed in collaboration with other manufacturers. Nexus devices were introduced annually as a hardware companion to demonstrate new software capabilities that had recently been added to Android, and were noted for its Vanilla Android OS, rapid OTA updates, and high-end specifications at a cheap price point.

O

Odin: It is a Windows software tool that may be used to install firmware on Samsung devices over a USB data link.

OEM: The word refers to software, firmware, hardware, or accessories developed by the maker of a device.

P

PPI: “Pixels per inch” is an abbreviation for “pixels per inch.” A metric for determining the density of pixels in a display. Devices with a higher PPI value will often have a more detailed, sharp screen.

PRL: Preferred Roaming List is an abbreviation for “Preferred Roaming List.” A database used by CDMA carriers to specify the preferred order of roaming networks that a device will utilise when service from its primary carrier is unavailable.

Q

Quick Settings: It is a pull-down menu containing quick-access settings toggles that is accessible from the lock screen, home screen, within applications, and pretty much everywhere else. for a variety of widely used settings like as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, screen rotation, and so on.

R

Root: Technically, root is the uppermost folder in the file directory of a Linux-based device, where all operating system files are stored.

S

SDK: “Software Development Kit” is an abbreviation for “Software Development Kit.” In the case of Android, the SDK is a collection of tools like as code libraries, a debugger, and a handset emulator that can be used on Windows, Mac, or Linux to help developers create Android apps.

SoC: System on a Chip is an abbreviation for “System on a Chip.” A computational chip that combines all of the primary processing units of a smartphone.

T

Tethering: The method of providing internet access to other devices by utilizing a smartphone’s mobile data connection.

TWRP:“Team Win Recovery Project” is an abbreviation for TWRP. A touch-based custom recovery that allows for the installation of customizations and custom ROMs, as well as the creation and restoration of NANDroid backups. ]

V

Vanilla Android: A word used to describe the unmodified version of Android found on Nexus devices or AOSP-based custom ROMs. Also see: Stock Android.

W

Wakelock: Apps utilise this service to prevent your smartphone from going into low-power sleep mode, which would otherwise remove the app from memory.

X

Xposed Module: Apps that make use of the Xposed Framework to modify other apps or fundamental Android functionalities. Installing an Xposed Module is as straightforward as sideloading any programme, allowing users to make big software modifications such as theming the main Android interface or adding functionality to existing apps.

These are all the Android glossary and technical terms that you should know in order to be more aware of your smartphone features.

For more informative articles you can visit our website Mobilesly.

Also have a look at our recommended article: 10 things you should never do on your android phones.