Android began in 2003 as a project by Android Inc. to create an operating system for digital cameras. The project was later shifted to focus on smartphones. In 2005, Google acquired Android Inc. and based the Android project on Linux, an open source operating system for personal computers.
Android has historically been developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance. Android at its core, is known as the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and is free and open-source software (FOSS) primarily licensed under the Apache License. However, most devices run the proprietary Android version developed by Google, which ships with additional proprietary closed-source software pre-installed. Most notable is Google Mobile Services (GMS), which includes core apps such as Google Chrome, the digital distribution platform Google Play, and the associated Google Play Services development platform.
While AOSP is free, the "Android" name and logo are trademarks of Google, who restrict the use of Android branding on "uncertified" products. The majority of smartphones based on AOSP run Google's ecosystem—which is known simply as Android—some with vendor-customized user interfaces and software suites