Android is a mobile operating system designed primarily for touch screen devices such as smartphones and tablets. Which of the following was the first Android operating system version codename?

Introduction / Context:
Android is one of the most widely used mobile operating systems in the world. It has gone through many versions, and most of these versions are associated with alphabetical dessert themed codenames such as Cupcake, Donut, Gingerbread and others. However, before these well known public releases, Android also had early internal development versions. This question asks about the first Android operating system version codename, which is sometimes asked in computer awareness and general knowledge exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Android is a mobile operating system designed for touch screen devices.
• The options list several version codenames: Cupcake, Alpha, Gingerbread, Doughnut, Ice Cream Sandwich.
• We are looking for the earliest codename used for an Android version.
• Public releases later used codenames starting from the letter C, but early internal builds used earlier letters.

Concept / Approach:
Android version history can be divided into internal development builds and public releases. The earliest known internal versions used simple alphabetical codenames: Alpha for the earliest, followed by Beta. Later, public versions adopted dessert names starting with Cupcake for Android 1.5, Donut for Android 1.6, Gingerbread for version 2.3 and Ice Cream Sandwich for version 4.0. Therefore, among the options given, Alpha is considered the first Android operating system codename. Understanding this distinction between internal and public naming helps remove confusion.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that many learners first encounter Android version names like Cupcake and Doughnut.Step 2: However, these dessert names start from the letter C and correspond to later public versions.Step 3: Remember that early internal development builds used simpler names starting earlier in the alphabet.Step 4: Alpha was used as the codename for the first internal Android version.Step 5: Therefore, among the options, Alpha is the earliest codename and is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, think of the alphabetical order of the dessert names. Cupcake begins with C, Doughnut with D, Gingerbread with G and Ice Cream Sandwich with I. These cannot be the first if there was a simple alphabetical naming pattern that included A and B. Historical summaries and many exam preparation books mention Android Alpha and Android Beta as the earliest internal milestones before public releases. This pattern strongly supports the conclusion that Alpha is the first codename.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option A, Cupcake, is an early public release but not the first overall codename, as it comes after internal Alpha and Beta versions.
• Option C, Gingerbread, refers to later versions in the Android 2.x line and is much newer than the earliest builds.
• Option D, Doughnut, is also a later public version, not the first codename.
• Option E, Ice Cream Sandwich, is a still later version that unified phone and tablet interfaces, far from the earliest release.

Common Pitfalls:
Many students remember only the dessert names used in advertising and user facing features. As a result, they may wrongly think that Cupcake was the very first Android version. Another pitfall is to assume that the question is only about public consumer releases and ignore the internal development history. Reading the question carefully and recalling that early internal versions had simple codenames like Alpha and Beta will help you avoid this confusion.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Alpha.