Froyo and Gingerbread Aim to End Android Platform Fragmentation

Posted Mar 29 2010 by Stephen Tenerowicz in  with 28 Comments



Engadget is reporting today that the Google is looking to tackle the growing problem of Android fragmentation head on with the next two installments of Android: Froyo and Gingerbread. You know, the kind of fragmentation that has users running four different versions of the Android OS on their smart-phones (1.5, 1.6, 2.0, and 2.1).  Put simply, Google’s been iterating the core far faster than most of its partners have been able to keep up.

According to the Engadget Team, many of Android’s standard applications and components from the platform’s core will be made downloadable and updatable through the Market, much the same as Google Maps now is.  This process will take place over two major Android versions, starting with Froyo and continuing through Gingerbread. This way, just because Google rolls out an awesome new browser doesn’t mean you need to wait for HTC, Samsung, or whomever made your phone to roll it into a firmware update, and for your carrier to approve it.  If all of this happens, you will be able to download most things from the market! Sounds like a damn good idea to me!

Let us hope this comes true !

Source: Engadget

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About the Author

Stephen TenerowiczAs a former IPhone freak, I grew to love Android. I hope you enjoy my posts. Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/piecemakr9.View all posts by Stephen Tenerowicz →

  • AGLA

    Um, this sounds like an awesome idea. Let me download my updates directly from the Android Market. I have zero faith that T-Mobile will ever update the MyTouch.

  • http://twitter.com/BradLeclerc @BradLeclerc

    Awesome. I really hope this happens. It would be insanely helpful to a LOT of people.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/anakin78z anakin78z

    This is great. I thought that moving Google Maps to the market was a brilliant move, and I'm glad they're going to continue along those lines. I'm hoping this means faster updates for some of the key features. Gmail could certainly use a little boost :-) .

    Also, I… uh… I like the pink robot.

    • andrew

      Now, if only they can solve the fragmented handsets issue…

  • http://twitter.com/droidin @droidin

    It's good in theory and could be done for individual components. But there's always a kernel with some new APIs or functionality that goes across the board

  • Ratnok

    I wonder what this means for the Nexus One… Froyo and Gingerbread will be coming as whole OTA firmware updates? Or will we have to go to the Market and download piecemeal like the rest of the Android Army?

    • Josh

      I was wondering how the Nexus One will get updates too. I'm using the N1 on AT&T right now, so I'm pretty sure they won't be sending out updates OTA. I don't think we will be able to download version updates from the market either. Hopefully they post the update online so we can download it directly to the phone (I used this method for 1.6 on my older G1) or else I may be forced to root my phone.

  • http://tech.desiblogs.net A S

    Some of the lines in this post are unvarnished copy-paste from Engadget. It is okay to use other sites as sources, but it is not kosher to just copy-paste direct from other websites. At least put those lines in quotes, for god's sake!

  • http://tech.desiblogs.net A S

    Interesting… I had been puzzled all these days about why Google released the gesture-based search feature as an app and not bake it right into the OS. NOW I am beginning to see the reason for that.

  • http://www.louboutinsales.com hh123686

    dfdfg gfgfg g

  • ap3604

    Dunno if anyone else feels this way too but I can't help feeling that only N1 owners should get the latest and greatest updates since we're the ones carrying the flagship device torch…

    It's like buying a Toyota Prius for $23,000 and then Toyota coming out with a hybrid kit for any car for free which seems to cheapen the N1 experience…

    N1 owners are way more important than any random Hero, G1, or Droid customers.

    We are the ones that carry Google's flagship device and should be treated accordingly… compared to the other random devices that just have android on it and aren't really Google devices.

    • googlefanboy

      Dude what the hell is wrong with you? I own the Nexus One but I'm far from feeling superior to anyone else just cause i have the N1. I'm all for Google doing well and if it means all android phones must be on the same version so that developers will make apps, then that's what should happen! If developers are more interested in android i benefit with having more choice. I got the nexus one because I hoped I wouldn't have to deal with carriers controlling the updates and updates would be pushed sooner to the N1 users but that doesnt mean i don't want to see other android users getting the updates and also I trust google more than i trust htc, motorola or sonyericson to deliver a good skin on top of android. Basically i bought the N1 because i wanted a untampered android phone but htc sense on the desire sounds pretty good.

  • MrChaz

    The N1 is always going to carry the latest and greatest (at least until the N2).
    All this is doing is give carriers the ability to pick and choose the services they provide out of the box, or possibly at all. It'll reduce the size of the core OS which is good for manufacturers and those delivering the updates alike. It will also allow Google to update their applications as frequently as they want.
    Speaking as a developer I do worry about how they're going to present the necessary information to users when they try and download an app which is dependent on some other optional component.

  • Matt

    Some Great to me!!!

  • BPC48

    So I have to download the upgrades from the market? It is cool, but I have got only 72MB(120for the system 72 for the apps) on my G1 for market downloads. 1.6 OTA was good, cause it used the system partition. (Anyway As I know, the 2.1 upgrade is 146mb. )

  • Bruce

    I'm glad that Google is learning what jerks the carriers are, but this means nothing for the 1.5 and 1.6 phones that people are using today. Android E and F have not even been introduced yet. They will only end fragmentation when all of the current phones are out of service. No market fragmentation by 2014? Big whoop. I'll believe it when I see it.

    The story could be titled, "Google gives up on updating current Android phones, but says new phones will be easier to update."

  • http://bfred.it Federico

    About time, no? Computers are like this already, they should have done it before.

  • http://ekas0615.student.ipb.ac.id khay

    nice info. thank you for sharing :p

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