What is Android? What features do various version have?

Android is an operating system based on the Linux kernel, and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones andtablet 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 user interface of Android is based off direct manipulation, using touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching and reverse pinching to manipulate on-screen objects. 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. Android allows users to customize their homescreens with shortcuts to applications and widgets, which allow users to display live content, such as emails and weather information, directly on the homescreen. Applications can further send notifications to the user to inform them of relevant information, such as new emails and text messages.

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 and enthusiast developers. However, most Android devices ship with additional Google software that is proprietary. 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.

Various Android Version as at 31st October, 2013. 
From oldest to Newest

Android Version 1.5 (Cupcake)
-Released April 30, 2009.
-Application Programming Interface (API) level 3

Android Version 1.6 (Donut)
-September 15, 2009
-Application Programming Interface (API) level 4

Android Version 2.0 - 2.1 (Eclair)

-Released October 26, 2009.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 7

Android Version 2.2 (Froyo)

-Released May 20, 2010.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 8

Android Version 2.3 - 2.3.2 (Gingerbread)

-Released December 6, 2010.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 9

Android Version 2.3.3 - 2.3.7 (Gingerbread)

-Released February 9, 2011.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 10

Android Version 3.1 (Honeycomb)

-Released May 10, 2011.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 12

Android Version 3.2 (Honeycomb)

-Released July 15, 2011.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 13

Android Version 4.0.3 - 4.0.4 (Ice cream Sandwich)

-Released December 16, 2011.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 15

Android Version 4.1x (Jelly Bean)

-Released July 9, 2012.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 17

Android Version 4.2x (Jelly Bean)

-Released November 13, 2012.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 19

Android Version 4.3 (Jelly Bean)

-Released July 23, 2013.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 17

Android Version 4.4 (KitKat)

-Released October 31, 2013.

-Application Programming Interface (API) level 19

Click here to see features of various version 

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