# Welcome

There aren't many platforms that provide access to 3.3 billion active devices. With 71.85% of global market share (as of 2026) and growing, there's no question as to which platform dominates the world's smartphone market. It is the reigning champion in India and China, where the total population is approaching 3 billion combined, and internet access among the populace is growing by the second. If you want access to emerging markets, low barriers to entry, and the open-source community, you've got to go green.

Here at Cornell AppDev, we recognize that our user base comes from a broad range of backgrounds and uses a broad range of devices from Samsung, OnePlus, and Google. Since we've created our Android subteam in Spring 2018, we've started making strides toward cross-compatibility on all fronts. With Android applications such as Eatery, Uplift, Resell, and Ithaca Transit gaining ground on the Cornell campus, we can fairly say that we know what we're doing, and we'd like to pass it on to you.

In this course, you'll learn the basics of Android development. From a low-level understanding of what the system is doing to the usage of higher-level features such as networking and notifications, we'll attempt to impart our knowledge of industry-standard development of Android applications, along with any tips and tricks we find helpful along the way.


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