
New Android and iOS "fragmentation" charts are just as flawed as the term - trimbo
http://www.phonearena.com/news/New-Android-and-iOS-fragmentation-charts-are-just-as-flawed-as-the-term_id50332#2-
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bookwormAT
Android is a cross platform technology that makes it possible to run a single
application on different hardware and software configurations. Android-based
operating systems can look, feel, feature and perform very differently, but as
long as the developer sticks to the standard, the Apps can run on all systems.

Android is, by definition, a "defragmentation platform". It allows companies
to basically make their own operating systems but stay binary compatible
through a common standard. The term "Android fragmentation" really just
describes the fact that the defragmentation only works 95% instead of 100%.

It's still much more fragmented if you want to support devices outside the
Android ecosystem. Try making an app that runs on the Galaxy S2, the HTC One
and the Nexus 4. Then make one that runs on the Galaxy S, the iPhone 5 and the
Lumia 720.

~~~
cbeach
"Try making an app that runs on the Galaxy S2, the HTC One and the Nexus 4.
Then make one that runs on the Galaxy S, the iPhone 5 and the Lumia 720"

What an absurd argument. There's a difference between platform fragmentation
and having industry competitors. The fact that there are other mobile OS's
does not reduce or negate the fragmentation within Android's ecosystem.

As for Android "by definition" being a "defragmentation platform," I think
you're drunk on Koolaid. Android's operator-indulging multi-platform strategy
makes it the very definition of fragmented.

The fact that such an obviously blinkered post reaches the top of HN comments
speaks volumes for Android fanboyism on HN.

~~~
bookwormAT
"Operating System" is certainly a ambiguous term these days. Two Android-based
software systems can differ in user interface, applications, file systems,
performance, interaction design and features. Compare Amazon's FireOS with
Samsung's Touchwiz with Motorola's Moto X software: Here we have different
industry competitors competing against each other. The only special position
that iOS has in this scenario is that it is not binary compatible with the
others.

Android did certainly not fragment the market. There were thousands of devices
with incompatible software systems out there before Android came along.
Android is not responsible for all the companies and form sizes and UIs and
operators. These were all there before 2008. Android just made it possible for
developers to target all these devices with the same codebase.

~~~
blub
Terms tend to become ambigous when one has an agenda...

Otherwise, OS is a perfectly clear term, Samsung and Motorola use the same OS,
Android. Amazon uses a customized version of Android. iOS is a completely
different OS.

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ricardobeat
Lots of gymnastics to "prove" Android fragmentation isn't as bad as it looks.
Pointless.

~~~
tbrock
I don't even see the latest version of android (kitkat) in the data.

It bothers me a lot that nexus devices I purchased this year will be long
forgotten months from now when Apple is prepping an iOS 7.1 beta for the
iPhone 4 as we speak.

I know that google's model is to update core functionality through
applications rather than via whole operating system updates but it's annoying
that google doesn't strong arm the abusive carriers/vendors into allowing
updates to the underlying OS in a timely fashion.

It gives the impression that an android device is what it is at the time it is
purchased but an Apple device may evolve. I consider it extremely odd
considering how Google has proven to themselves over an over that that
upgrading people's common denominator platform is a great strategy (Chrome).

~~~
venomsnake
I am currently with android 4.4 on oldish HTC Desire HD. It is amazing what
lifespan the devices have when they are unlocked and unbound. I dream for the
day when mobile devices will ship without os and it will be for the user to
choose.

~~~
pjmlp
It will never happen, if one looks at the history behind common OS for mobile
devices.

Carriers and handset manufactures have too many interests into product
differentiation.

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dhruvmittal
With the rise of Google Play Services, we might consider the Android
"fragmentation" charts even more useless than this article claims they are.

~~~
ttflee
Google services is out-of-option in China. Google Play Services may quickly
contributed to the fragmentation of Andorids in near future as another factor.

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skilesare
All you need to know about fragmentation is that when I build a mobile app for
android, I have to put a clause in the contract that I will not support it,
that it is untested, and that the client releases it at their own risk. Any
updates to the app will require additional fees that may or may not include
the purchase of a new device and that the client agrees to cover those costs.

It is just impossible to test it everywhere. I can't afford to purchase 700
devices to test on and the client can't afford for the QA on all those
devices.

Products have to be pushed into the marketplace and then you have to react to
the idiosyncrasies of each platform.

I'm dealing with an issue right now where my galaxy tab runs an app just fine,
but a customer's sony device isn't reporting that it is connected to the
internet.

It is a real issue because this isn't an issue with iOS and most of the time
customers delay their android release because of the testing and quality
control issue.

------
podperson
Let's make a reasonably fair comparison:

Android runs on all kinds of devices from different manufacturers.

Windows runs on all kinds of devices from different manufacturers.

I can write a program that runs nicely on pretty much any Windows box pretty
easily. To do the same on Android is more painful (but that's mostly because
desktop applications deal with varying screen resolutions more gracefully than
mobile platforms).

I can upgrade pretty much any Windows box to the latest version of Windows.

I cannot upgrade most Android devices to the latest version of Android.

Swap "Linux" for "Windows" if my use of a commercial analogy offends your
sensibilities.

Now, part of this is a problem with the phone market. But is Android
fragmentation on tablets any better?

------
stesch
Fragmentation story:

I have an iPhone and wanted to convince people to use Threema instead of
WhatsApp. Only 1 person wanted to give it a try. I was happy. It's a start.

But he has an HTC Desire HD. He is stuck at Android 2.3 and wasn't able to
install Threema.

