You must have heard of it – or perhaps having it in your hands right now! About 85% of the devices sold use Android as their OS.
Android is a popular mobile operating system developed by Google. Most of the popular phones like Samsung, Google Nexus, Sony Xperia are based on Android. Android is open-source i.e.; the OS can be customized by developers depending on the handset.
Android is based on Linux Kernel. Android programs are written in Java using ASDK (Android Software Development Kit) and run through the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) optimized for mobile.
If you are preparing for an android interview, check out the top android interview questions with detailed answers.
Benefits and Features of Android
Android is one of the most widely used OS, and there are lots of applications that can be downloaded from the Google play store other than the built-in applications that come with the phone. Some features and benefits of Android are:
- Open source and free – easy for small businesses to develop their choice of apps
- Huge community and support
- Rich development environment
- Very cost-effective to develop apps
- Intuitive UI
- Wide connectivity options.
- Extensive support for media files format.
- Data storage using SQLite
- Resizable widgets
- Multi-touch and multitasking
How to Learn Android
Android development is easy and quick, and you can learn through training courses, videos, tutorials, and of course, good books! Though some claim that you can learn it in a month, we suggest you take time to sink in the concepts step by step, apply what you read in a book or see in a tutorial to practice, and follow the android developer website for documentation, updates, and support. Basic knowledge of Java is required for learning Android.
Related Course
The Complete Android 12 & Kotlin Development Masterclass
Best Android Books
We have selected the 10 best Android books that are updated for Android development in 2024. Let us see below.
1. Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide
This is a good book and reference guide for beginners, and even if you do have some experience, you will learn a lot of new stuff from this book. The book covers all essential concepts of Android from activity, threads, themes, views, fragments, network communication, etc. and not a single word of the book is extra. Every chapter, every paragraph opens up a world of new things for the reader.
Features:
- Detailed explanations of all the important concepts and APIs
- You should know the basics of Kotlin (for the newest edition), although the author covers some parts of it; the previous editions are based on Java
- A lot of practical examples are given which you can practice learning better
- The book is updated with the latest changes in Android studio and other tools
- The author maintains a good pace throughout the book
Rating: 4.6
Cost: Kindle: $24.10
Paperback: $23.75
2. Headfirst Android Development
This is the best book for android development and for beginners as well as next-level programmers. You should know Java before you get on to this book. If you already have some idea about Android programming, you might feel the book to be a bit slow and repetitive, but it will be a great refresher for all that you already know. The author's tone is funny and witty, with easy-to-understand explanations and code examples.
Features:
- Step by step approach.
- A lot of topics are covered, although you never feel the burden because of the author's approach.
- Great projects that introduce you to basics and prepare you for the next level.
- Hand-written annotations, spaces in between the texts of the book give a nice feel of proper coaching.
- Covers fundamentals in a detailed manner.
- A little verbose for those who are experienced.
Rating: 4.5
Cost: Kindle: $15.09
Paperback: $24.77
3. Java Programming for Android Developers for Dummies
This is not a book where you will be spoon-fed with all the concepts. The author mentions a lot of terms and concepts and encourages you to read more about them through online content; for example, the android emulator and how you can run apps on it. That said, the author puts in a lot of effort to make learning Java and Android side by side with ease. If you already know Java, you can skip the introduction to Java as you might feel it to be very lengthy.
Features:
- Covers the basics of Java and Android.
- The author's tone is witty and funny, making reading a delight.
- Some Java concepts are not explained in detail, and the author expects you to look for details from other sources.
- The book is well-organized and starts with the introduction of both Java and Android, and then explains how both work together by creating real-world apps.
- Emphasizes the importance of creating smaller code blocks in one place and reusing them at other places.
Rating: 4.5
Cost: Kindle: $18.39
Paperback: $19.99
4. Android Application Development All-in-one for Dummies
A neat and well-structured book, Android for dummies, will certainly take your interest in Android to a much higher level. It is a beginner's book, which takes you through all the core concepts. The author explains what is needed for you to know as a beginner developer, and doesn't overload you with more information that you can understand.
Features:
- The book starts with the basics of Android, from emulator to Android studio; however, it expects you to have some prior programming language knowledge.
- A lot of tips, observations, and tricks on the sidebars and other places make the book interactive and interesting to read.
- The author makes you think about a problem and its possible approaches before giving the final answer. This helps readers think rather than just copy-pasting the code to make it work.
- Simple presentation, no verbosity, only fun, wit and information
- If you are new to software programming itself, this book might be tough to follow.
Rating: 4.4
Cost: Kindle: $20.79
Paperback: $23.78
5. Android Programming: Pushing the Limits
This is your perfect companion if you already completed a few android projects and looking for more knowledge and complex projects. No verbosity, clear and concise content, this book explains all the features – even the latest ones, extremely well. If you want to explore your creativity and look for challenges, this is the book you must read and explore. Topics like threads, JUnit, performance tuning are covered in-depth along with other core concepts.
Features:
- A unique book that has the content you will not find in any other book.
- Good mix of basic and advanced concepts.
- The book doesn't just explain what should be done but also explains why something is being done.
- The book guides you correctly on which topics are most important from the development perspective and how much you need to know about each topic.
- Fast-paced and loaded with basic as well as advanced level content.
Rating: 4.2
Cost: Kindle: $26.39
Paperback: $29.70
6. GUI Design for Android Apps
This is a good book for those who want to learn Android from scratch. The Kindle version of this book is free, so for those who do not know what to expect or whether you want to learn Android or not, this book could be the starting point. The book is not detailed but covers all the important concepts for you to build simple android apps. There are many code samples, case studies, and tutorials that help you understand the UI design easily, which is otherwise a difficult task.
Features:
- Starts from very basic information about Android, readers should know Java and XML to fully appreciate the content.
- Builds a strong foundation for new Android developers.
- You can see the experience and expertise of the author through the code examples used in the book.
- If you already have some experience with android development, this book won't be much useful.
Rating: 4.1
Cost: Kindle: $0.0
Paperback: $16.99
7. The Busy Coder's Guide to Advanced Android Development
This is an advanced level book, and you must be able to write simple apps and programs before you grab this book. It is a comprehensive guide and reference that you can keep in your workplace to refer to during your project work or use as a detailed material to learn advanced Android. The author not only talks about technical aspects but also mentions how Android first developed the best practices to follow and detailed code examples.
Features:
- Advanced book for professional android developers
- Book is well-structured and follows a step-by-step introduction of concepts one after the other
- A complete reference book with clear, concise example code and real-life apps
- If you buy the Kindle (digital) version, you get supplementary books that enhance your learning experience. The digital version is also regularly updated by the author, so its new and more accurate
- The book doesn't cover any basics or introduction, and straightaway starts with more advanced topics
- The book additionally covers topics like NFC, dynamic fragments, creating list-based app widgets, etc.
Rating: 3.8
Cost:
Paperback: $47.96
8. Professional Android
An amazing book for intermediate to expert level Android developers. This book covers all the best practices and understands the architecture, lifecycle, UI, and many more things about Android. The examples are simple yet powerful and explained very well. The hands-on approach followed in this book makes it stand out from the other books available in the market. You should know the basics of Java to learn from this book.
Features:
- A lot of projects covering all the new features of Android.
- A practical approach that helps you create real-world applications quickly.
- Vast information about Android Studio IDE and Kotlin.
- Includes firebase and google play services like google maps, location-based services, awareness API, and more.
- Covers data binding, job scheduler, architecture components in-depth.
- The book introduces some topics that are not covered in detail, so you can supplement your learning with online tutorials or blogs.
Rating: 3.7
Cost: Kindle: $26.39
Paperback: $26.54
9. Android Design Patterns
Knowing design patterns for development in any language saves you a lot of time and effort and helps you build apps with best practices and cleaner code. This book attempts to do the same with the help of 58 different patterns. The book is divided into parts and slowly moves from phone app development, Android OS, Android fragmentation, antipatterns (indicating common mistakes), and finally, design patterns. Each chapter explains one pattern.
Features:
- Includes patterns for both mobile apps and tablet-specific apps.
- The book does not have any code but gives step by step instructions on how to use each design pattern.
- Well-explained tips and tricks on the correct and incorrect way of doing something.
- About 70 UI design patterns that include 58 patterns and 12 antipatterns.
- The book contains information about Android, iOS, and other mobile interfaces in-depth.
- The examples used in the book are from real-world applications that you can explore on your own too.
- Lots of useful pictures, demos, and discussions that make you curious to learn more about Android.
Rating: 3.5
Cost: Kindle: $22.50
Paperback: $36.05
You can buy this book here.
10. Beginning Android 4 Games Development
This is a nice primer for those who want to start developing games using the Android platform. It covers basic gaming fundamentals, basics of Android and Java; however, it is recommended to have some prior knowledge of Java before reading this book. The book gently introduces readers to the Android platform and moves towards creating a game engine, and developing 2D and 3D games using OpenGL ES and Canvas API.
Features:
- Even if you already have a basic idea about gaming, the book will be helpful as it provides useful insights about the peculiarities and pitfalls of the Android platform.
- The author leaves some portion of the code unexplained so that the reader can debug, test, and fill the gaps, which encourages self-learning.
- The book provides a thorough explanation of libGDX and gives external references for better learning.
Rating: 3.0
Cost: Kindle: $39.99
Paperback: $41.65
Conclusion
You can start Android app development on Windows, Mac, or Linux and will need Java JDK5 or later and Android studio. Our list contains all types of books catering to beginners, intermediates, and experienced programmers. If you are just starting, "Android application development all-in-one for dummies" and "GUI design for android apps" will be the best books for you. If you are just looking for a quick, handy reference guide, "Android programming: The big nerd Ranch guide" or "The Busy Coder's Guide to Advanced Android Development" should be your ideal choice. For advanced developers, "Android Programming: Pushing the limits" and "The Busy Coder's Guide to Advanced Android Development" are some of the best books. Let us know which book you are going to start today!
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