Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications.
The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing applications on the Android platform using the Java programming language.
Some of its features are :
Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components
Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine
Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)
SQLite for structured data storage
Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)
Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE