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Android Fragmentation Visualized

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Re: Android Fragmentation Visualized

#61

Post by huggyface »

taligent wrote: post #42
huggyface wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work in a team that does Android and mobile website development. We NEED 20+ devices versus 4 for Apple Just to be clear, you're the guy who "researched" Android by looking at the public, everyone-knows-about-it Platform Versions breakdown this morning . And you're schooling me on Android. Delightful. I have actual public apps. The only real issue are a small number of devices where the HAL essentially lies (which…

I didn't research anything. I work for a large multinational and our team is responsible for some of the most popular public apps and websites on the entire platform. So yes. I see first hand what it takes to support them. And the problems with Android are far, far beyond just GPU issues. It is the fact that the most popular devices are also the ones running old versions.

Ugh, ignore the research comment. Somehow I mixed up your nick with the other guy who referred to that. Face red.

Re: Android Fragmentation Visualized

#62

Post by rorrr »

luigi wrote: post #5

It seems to me that the best way to think of Android is to compare it to the world of Linux distros. (I believe Dan Benjamin of 5by5 pointed this out on one of his podcasts.) Yes, there's Linux, but there's no one Linux. There's Android, but there's no one Android. So while Android is technically an operating system, it's really an open platform on which to build mobile devices on top of. So the Android device I buy…

I think a better analogy is a web browser. There are many versions, many resolutions, but they all roughly support the same API, while modern browsers have more features.

Re: Android Fragmentation Visualized

#63

Post by estel »

billjings wrote: post #4

Could you guys get a simple histogram of the model data up? The 2d visualization is clever, but it does not tell me what I need to know: does the distribution have a long tail or not? It sort of looks like it does, but the visualization obscures the truth and prevents comparison with similar datasets.

Not the same thing, but Android Police put together a decent histogram of Platform Versions: http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/04/27/the-big-android-char...

Re: Android Fragmentation Visualized

#64

Post by saurik »

Steko wrote: post #53
luigi wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not defending it, I'm explaining it. Google has created an open ecosystem, and these are the natural consequences. Google can't "do something about it" because of the open terms of their licensing.

The messy truth is that Google has created only a half-open ecosystem. 98%+ of Android users are at the mercy of the carriers and handset makers for updates. That's not a truly open ecosystem.

Even if 100% of users were at the mercy of carriers and handset makers, that just underscores that 'Google can't "do something about it"'; it doesn't even mean the platform is not "open", as you are mistaking open devices for open software: the platform is, in fact, so open that carriers and handset manufacturers are allowed to make arbitrary modifications and sell closed devices running the result.

Re: Android Fragmentation Visualized

#65

Post by drivebyacct2 »

cek wrote: post #28
nextparadigms wrote: post #2

So what can Google do to reduce the problem? Release only one major version of Android every year? Every 3 years like Windows? Release a private "beta" version for most manufacturers (not just one like now) so that they all have devices with the new OS on the official launch day? Develop better abstraction layers for hardware? Force manufacturers to use only a few resolutions like 480x320, 800x480 and 1280x720 (retin…

There is nothing Google can do about it. The cat is out of the bag, so to speak. Everything they try will simply make the problem worse. - Release new versions faster? Nope. More fragmentation. - Pressure MOs/OEMs to only ship latest versions? Nope. Just pisses them off and makes them more inclined to fork. - Reduce flexiblilty (better abstraction layers for hardware) ala WP7? Nope. MOs/OEMs care most about flexibili…

>Maybe, but it would have to be mind-blowingly-differentiated. Can't find any proof points of Google doing that in the past, so have to assume it won't happen in the future.

Right, because Android itself doesn't meet that exact specification? A completely free operating system that is enormously huge on hundreds (thousands yet?) of different devices that anyone can build and distribute without royalties? It literally changed how smart phones exist and has put them in the hands of people that would never otherwise own a smartphone.

If you want revolutionary, check out boot to gecko. Even cheaper phones, more transparency, all open standards.

Re: Android Fragmentation Visualized

#66

Post by drivebyacct2 »

taligent wrote: post #10
nextparadigms wrote: post #2

So what can Google do to reduce the problem? Release only one major version of Android every year? Every 3 years like Windows? Release a private "beta" version for most manufacturers (not just one like now) so that they all have devices with the new OS on the official launch day? Develop better abstraction layers for hardware? Force manufacturers to use only a few resolutions like 480x320, 800x480 and 1280x720 (retin…

They really need to structure the OS so that the core components can be updated independent of the vendor ones. Then just ship updates regardless of what vendors do. People act like Google is somehow unique here. Microsoft and Linux support a vastly more complex array of hardware configurations and still manages to support a diverse ecosystem above the core OS.

What a terribly obvious misnomer.

1. OEMs deserve 90% of the blame for being slow. CM is proof that OEMs are absurdly slow at updates, almost surely because they put absolutely no priority on supporting old devices. People blame Google because OEMs are greedy and lazy and are more interested in making the next buck than support an already cashed-out device.

2. Building a ROM for a phone is wildly different than adding hardware support to the Linux kernel or bundling drivers. Number one, because that is flat out impossible to do on mobile devices due to reasons that I only understand as "component manufacturers have tight control of software radio components", to the point that it makes it nie impossible for Google to distribute everything to make complete images even for their own Nexus phones.

3. OEMs over customize because they have access to the source code. They can do >= 90% of their customization using stock Android and just change what ships by default, but because they have the source, they tear into it and modify every last piece. If you don't think this would happen if OEMs had source for Windows, you're crazy.

Re: Android Fragmentation Visualized

#67

Post by gravitronic »

fidotron wrote: post #60
gravitronic wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That API call is not sufficient. Some devices have more than one external storage device. For example some tablets have an internal storage point and the ability to have a USB key. The function you are talking about only returns a single directory and my users want to use both if available.

Yeah, and Motorola have their own etc. It really isn't a big deal. Use reflection to find what works at runtime, and live with it. That's the price of the flexibility which makes the whole thing attractive in the first place. The big problem is trying to cover all bases from the start: you won't. Attack it like an old school PC shareware dev, and respond to customer requests. There are far larger problems with Androi…

The brutal part is that generally customer requests are no better than "the bug is shitty app" or just "buggggggg". Thats where a responsive strategy sucks - reliable reports are few and far between.

Re: Android Fragmentation Visualized

#68

Post by Steko »

saurik wrote: post #64
Steko wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The messy truth is that Google has created only a half-open ecosystem. 98%+ of Android users are at the mercy of the carriers and handset makers for updates. That's not a truly open ecosystem.

Even if 100% of users were at the mercy of carriers and handset makers, that just underscores that 'Google can't "do something about it"'; it doesn't even mean the platform is not "open", as you are mistaking open devices for open software: the platform is, in fact, so open that carriers and handset manufacturers are allowed to make arbitrary modifications and sell closed devices running the result.

Shorter saurik: "Android is so open it's closed!"

Re: Android Fragmentation Visualized

#69

Post by nextparadigms »

I think this is a major move in the right direction:

http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/15/3022682/google-direct-sale...

It should bring a lot more stock devices into the market. Manufacturers will be able to upgrade their devices faster, and if Google is smart, they will stick with 1 major release per year rather than 2, and this way manufacturers will have to upgrade their devices only twice in 2 years, rather than 4 times. And we won't have this problem of being "2 versions behind".

Re: Android Fragmentation Visualized

#70

Post by gurkendoktor »

jcromartie wrote: post #48
ajross wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty much, yes. New features in ICS need to be viewed as optional and probed if you're going to use them. Though to be fair there really aren't that many you'd really want -- ICS focused more on the core apps and user experience than it did on extending the platform APIs. Also, my memory is that something like 20-30% of iOS users weren't on 5 yet. Is that wrong?

About 80% of users are on iOS 5.0+, so, 20% are < 5.0. But the 20% that are < 5.0 are not the ones that will be downloading and installing fancy new apps. If they were big app consumers, they would update the OS.

The iPhone 3G is stuck on iOS 4.2.1. When I still had my 3G, I happily bought apps if they still ran.

We also had quite some support requests for a three digit dollar app (!) because customers never bothered to update their iPad, the OS versions were all over the place.

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