5 Years ago today, the Open Handset Alliance released a new open source operating system for mobile phones, that operating system was Android. In the last five years the mobile OS has come along in leaps and bounds, and it has helped change the face of the mobile industry.

Although Android is Google’s baby, the Open Handset Alliance is made up of 34 different companies including, T-Mobile, HTC, Motorola, and Qualcomm. The goal of the alliance was to: “foster innovation on mobile devices while giving consumers a far better user experience than much of what is available on today’s platforms”.

While it has taken a while for Android to deliver the ‘better experience’ it promised on its mobile devices, there is no doubt about the impact it has had in the mobile world. So happy birthday, Android. I am sure your party will be filled with Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Honeycomb, Froyo, and Jellybeans.

Do you use Android? Are you a fan, or do you prefer a different mobile OS? Share your experiences in the comment section below.