The change in Android landscape
Looking at where Android and smartphones have come from and where they are going. What was important then what is important today?
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Qualcomm reportedly working on a chip with multiple LTE bands and carrier networks
In a recent filing at the FCC, it seems Qualcomm has been busy lately working on a new radio chipset. According to the FCC, it looks like we could be looking at a chip that would support up to 7 different bands, with three of those bands being below 1 GHz. LTE spectrum fragmentation is... Read More
Android 4.0 getting close to 5% share of platform
Android’s biggest problem continues to be fragmentation. Particularly when you have a huge UI change, like in Android 4.0 ICS, it’s important to get as many devices as you can on the update to avoid customer confusion and developer frustration. Even the Nexus S 4G, Sprint’s ...
Read MoreGoogle and the OHA Are Working to Extend Device Life and Speed the Update Process…Fragmentation Gone?
Here is something worth getting excited about! Google announced at I/0 today that they are formulating new guidelines for industry leaders, including members of the Open Handset Alliance, that will help regulate timeframes for devices getting OS updates.
Read MoreAndy Rubin Clears the Air About Android Rumors
Android head Andy Rubin took to the Android Developers Blog to clear the air about rumors that have been circulating recently: that Google is imposing new rules to reduce fragmentation, and that they are holding back release of Honeycomb source code in a way that betrays open ...
Read MoreCEO of TweetDeck has a Few Words for Steve Jobs
Ah Steve. When will you learn? Recently, the CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, made some comments about fragmentation on the Android platform. Jobs stated that: Twitter client TwitterDeck recently launched their app for Android. They reported that they had to contend with more than a hundred different ...
Read MoreNearly Two Thirds of Android Users on 2.1 or Above
The now familiar Platform Version Chart has been updated at the Android Developers site, and for the period ending August 2, it shows nearly 2/3 of users on 2.1 or 2.2. Android 2.1 accounts for 59.7%, and 2.2 for 4.5%. Together, that’s 64.2%. With the rash of Froyo updates going out now, ...
Read MoreAndroid Team Updates Platform Versions, Adds Historical Data
The official Android Developers Dashboard has been updated today with new data as well as historical information to aid developers. Not only do we get to see how each platform stacks up in the Android legacy pie, but now we can find historical distribution for each release. How fast has ...
Read MoreBig in Japan Understands “Legacy”, Releases ShopSavvy Classic
This is exactly what legacy is meant to be. Big in Japan, makers of the ever-awesome Shop Savvy application for Android, have released a “Classic” version of their app. This means you guys running older versions of Android can still take advantage of the price comparison and ...
Read MoreNew Android Fragmentation/Legacy Chart Shows 50% Running 2.1
Our favorite pie chart has made another appearance over at Google’s Android Developer site. As you can see, 50% of Android devices are now running 2.1, up from the last projection of about 45%. This is most likely reflected by all the handsets we have seen get an update, and perhaps the ...
Read MoreOpinion: What Should Become of Google’s Phone Site?
Last week, Google openly admitted to the world that it had failed in its online phone store experiment. I won’t lie… It takes real guts to tell the entire world you were wrong. But admitting failure is worthless, unless you learn from your experience, and implement a change for the ...
Read MoreAndroid Fragmentation Dwindling
The device dashboard over at the official Android Developers site has been updated after months of inactivity. With the Motorola Droid recently getting bumped up to Android 2.1 over the last couple of weeks, it’s no surprise that Android had dwindled down to 3 major builds (1.5, 1.6, and ...
Read MoreFroyo and Gingerbread Aim to End Android Platform Fragmentation
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 ...
Read MoreOfficial User Data for Android Developers Helps Cut Through Fragmentation
In an effort to battle fragmentation on the platform, the Android Development team took to the official blog today to announce the availability of a new device dashboard.
Read MoreDuarlander Promises Consistent Android Experiences
The issue of Android fragmentation is a legitimate one but has a much greater effect on developers than consumers. We, as consumers, want your app to work on our phone, period. Your job as a developer is to insure that it does just that. And with a now 48 hour return policy in place, ...
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