A View of Android Fragmentation

By Jake • October 27th, 2011 • 2 Comments

Michael DeGusta (@degusta) has an exhaustive chart depicting Android fragmentation. Maybe someone can visualize the data in a slightly easier to consume way, but it paints a good picture.

the understatement: Android Orphans: Visualizing a Sad History of Support h/t TechCrunch

Aside from a minor quibble with the original iPhone’s green status (iOS 4 launched a few days prior to the OG iPhone’s third birthday), the picture is clear and accurate. Android users are rarely on the most recent version.

I’m not convinced that’s a bad thing, having run Android on a phone exclusively for more than a year. I’d argue that the majority of Android users rock mid and low-range phones, which has bolstered Android’s overall share. These people are content with a good-enough experience that allows them to do Facebook on their phones.

New OS features are for media, for technophiles and for people coming out of contract or looking to upgrade devices on their current carrier.

The latter group almost exclusively wants new phones, not OS upgrades. Hence the trade-in programs run by Best Buy and others.

Apple does right by its users, who have paid more by-and-large, keeping their devices delightful and magical to amortize the initial outlay.

So, yeah, Android is fragmented, but it doesn’t matter as much as this chart leads you to believe, with the exception of ongoing support and security releases. That’s a big deal that Google, carriers and device manufacturers need to address.

Interestingly, high-end Android devices like the HTC EVO 4G do follow the Apple model and are still being updated.

Anyway, food for thought.


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  • Gary Myers

    Sure my relatively new Android phone is an older version (2.3.3). I also have a DVD player (no Blu-ray) and a car with a CD-player (no aux-in or iPod connectivity). And I’m using a machine with XP. 
    I’d be more worried if they forced updates on my phone that were beyond the capabilities of the hardware.
    If I was a developer, I’d be more concerned about the variety of screen sizes, devices with physical keyboards….

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    Exactly. Most people expect to pay for upgrades, Windows, OS X, consumer electronics. That’s the usual behavior. I remember thinking that Apple would do that too w the iPhone, but they (correctly) assumed the cost of the device warranted free upgrades.

    Plus, they wanted to seed the App Store.

    Great point about Android development; the differences in hardware make fragmentation worst on developers.