Comments on: Google’s Android anti-fragmentation push is vital

By: Dion

Dion — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:06:00 +0000

It’s generally true though.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 16:05:00 +0000

Cut the crap. You’re just another fandroid/Apple hater. I’m an enthusiast and have been building hardcore PC gaming rigs for years. I’m also a software engineer, and I bought an iPhone 4 over a comparable Android phone.

Getting a little tired of hearing people try to claim that the “educated” only buy Android while the “simply user” buys an iPhone.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Sales number make it clear? Hardly. Last week I bought my mother an Android phone (I use an iPhone 4 along with my wife). Why did I buy her an Android phone? Because it was cheap and simple to use and fits her needs perfectly. It’s not even as good as my old iPhone 3 (which my kids now use for gaming).

Yet this “Android” phone still counts towards the total number of Android sales, despite being a rather “poor” smartphone (when compared to an iPhone, Droid, Galaxy S or other “high-end” smartphones).

So Android has a higher number of TOTAL sales, but in the high-end market Apple still dominates. This is why Apple is making so much money – they only sell a high-end phone which has better profit margins than the mainstream phones do.

BTW, I’m a software engineer. I looked at developing for Android or iOS for my own products and I chose iOS. I saw where the fragmentation was going and I don’t have the time or resources to worry about having to test my apps on multiple platforms to make sure it works properly on all. With iOS I don’t have this problem and my software will look and run consistently on all iOS devices. I’d rather have my apps available on 40million devices that are the same than have it available on 120million fragmented devices (numbers made up to illustrate a point).

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 06:03:00 +0000

You can run all the PRO Apple pieces you want, the sales numbers don’t lie. Android is moving away with the market share. For one reason, it is OPEN. All this HAIR ON FIRE bull shit about UI fragmentation and version fragmentation is just that, bull shit. You may not like HTC’s Sence UI but their sales numbers don’t lie either. You may not like Motoblur, but their sales numbers don’t lie. You may not like Samsung’s UI, but they sell phones. It’s choice. And if you want a clean vanilla Android you can buy a Nexus S. I can’t speak to Samsung or HTC UIs’, but it took all of 5 minutes to erase any trace of Motoblur on my Droid X home pages. I have made it reflect just exactly what I want.

But there is a real danger in over reacting to this perceived fragmentation danger…….Innovation of the platform. Android didn’t get from 3% to 34% market share in less than two years by imposing artificial constraints on the platform or the OEMs. And I will remind you there were plenty of naysayers. Apple’s iPhone was unassailable according to the pundits in 2009. The Android platform’s most competitive advantage is its ability for the very next new Android phone to release, to be the latest and greatest. To have the latest, most powerful, most innovative hardware in the market. And for the Android OS to be unfettered from taking full advantage of that hardware. And that’s what every phone purchaser should want. If my Droid X has an unfortunate run in with the rear tire of my car today, I can go to Verizon and buy the latest greatest Android phone tomorrow. And it won’t be last year’s goods come June or July.

The perfect example of the results of “avoiding version fragmentation” is the Windows Mobile Phone OS. By forcing backward mobility, MS Mobile 6.5 had become a joke in the smartphone world by 2009. And by the time MS realized it, they left themselves in a precarious position. Having to abandon the old OS before the new OS was fully featured. And their paying the price in the form of buyer indifference to the WP7. Apple is going to face the same problem with iPhone 5. They can’t make iOS and the iPhone 5 competitive with the Android phones that will be in the market come mid-year 2011 and maintain legacy support for the 3g/3gs phones. But if they jettison the next OS upgrade for all of the 3g/3gs segment of the market in one fell swoop, they will face a huge backlash. Android is fortunate to have multiple phones over multiple OEMs. It allows the platform to cut loose legacy support in much smaller increments.

Sales numbers make it clear. Buyers are having no problem buying into the Android platform. And the reason is clear. Hardware and OS advances are making Android phones the best phones technologically.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 06:03:00 +0000

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 06:03:00 +0000

By: Austrian dude

Austrian dude — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 02:08:00 +0000

Does it really hurst that much? Enough to make up some BS :)

By: Austria dude

Austria dude — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Just get your facts straight. Android was never open source as it has never been released under an open source license like GNU.
Open is not the same as open source.

By: Andy Hall

Andy Hall — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:47:00 +0000

Those satisfaction figures are a little dubious, does it take into account the types of people buying those phones? The iPhone has high popularity with the ‘general public’, many of whom aren’t half as discerning or knowledgeable on smartphone OS’s as us enthusiasts are. If the iPhone is their first (and only) experience of a smartphone, they’re going to think it’s the best thing since sliced bread because they have no comparison to anything else or no awareness of the restriction that iOS enforces (nor may they even care). The majority of Android buyers have at least a slightly higher awareness of these issues and are likely to be more discerning and critical in their satisfaction scores as they have multiple Android devices to reference in the market while drawing on their existing knowledge of the market to provide some perspective. I’ve extensively used both HTC’s Sense on my own Desire HD, and iOS on a friend’s iPhone and i have to say, for me, Sense takes the biscuit. Other skins are less impressive. But personally, i to am all for Google taking the reigns on Android a little more. I’d love to see a day when ALL devices, regardless of OEM, are able to update to the latest version of Android near instantly while given the option to have a custom skin from the OEM. I think that would be the best result.

By: Proprietary_Android

Proprietary_Android — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 17:05:00 +0000

I think you are speaking about the open sourced Android. That’s there to allow anyone to develop whatever they want and are free of any central control. That’s still there and still the same. Take it and do whatever you want with it. It’s an OS that anyone can use asap and create something innovative.

However, Google has alway exercised control over the development of Android with comparability in mind. They’ve always made OHA members agree to development comparability guidelines–clearly they weren’t followed as well as they should have been. Sure, this isn’t making a “standardized handset” and I don’t think Google is trying to standardize handsets now. They are simply trying to ensure that the underlying OS work properly across hardware environments and that software “addons” don’t conflict with the OS thus ensuring that apps run properly on each device = reduced fragmentation.

The anti-fragmentation program is nothing new really. They are just being clearer about it, working with SoC manufacturers to ensure hardware neutrality, and are now being more insistent that those who want first crack at the OS uphold the comparability guidelines, and Google is now actively making sure that occurs.

A quick example of this is Asus’s Eee Pad Transformer. They made a really cool live wallpaper that shows ice floating in water and it reflects the current level of the battery. Well, Asus didn’t implement it properly and Google is taking issue with it. In other words, Google is finally cracking down on sloppy implementations of OEM’s software integrations into Android. No doubt that Asus could have made the same wallpaper following the guidelines. They just chose to do it their way instead, and Google cannot allow that to continue any longer if they want to see Android have a secure flourishing ecosystem with a great user experience.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 07:55:00 +0000

I also think that since almost every new smart phone that is released has the Android OS is part of it and phone reps pushing it on people. This past summer almost everyone’s phone was a Droid in our department. We work in the basement of our company building and Verizon is the only service that they get even at 1 bar. These were also former Blackberry and LG Envy phone owners. Once the Verizon iPhone hit, bam those who can afford to buy it got it. Goes to show that unfortunately those were just interim phones until the iPhone finally arrived : ( None of them cared about openness. Not being on Verizon was why they didn’t by it before and not because they cared about ditching stock keyboards for 300 other types of keyboards in the appmarket. Its marketing and whats consided a smartphone has the magical words Apple, Blackberry, and Droid to people who don’t read this website.

By: Chris Davies

Chris Davies — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 07:49:00 +0000

Problem is, the original premise of Android was never to standardize every device running the OS, at least not in the way you describe. It was to give an OS core which would accelerate OEM/carrier development times: HTC was always going to be free to customize it with Sense, and there’s nothing in there which says they have to offer an “off” switch to take you back to Android as it comes off Google’s servers.

What we’ve seen happen, though, is that the majority of the development innovation is still coming from Google, and manufacturers are only doing minor things – usually the lightest of UI layers – to modify for their own devices.

By: Chris Davies

Chris Davies — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 07:43:00 +0000

Ha! I’m not talking about a digital dictatorship, I was more frustrated by the idea that manufacturers were complaining because their (generally awful & unnecessary) UI mods were leaving Google lukewarm toward them, and wanting the best of both worlds. As HTC has showed, if you have a cohesive software/services plan then even if your device is running an older version of Android then you can still be highly competitive. There’s more to it than simply taking what Google doles out to you.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 07:37:00 +0000

Yup. So disappointed that its not the “Nexus H.” If you want Verizon or Sprint apps you should be able to download from the appmarket. The Sprint ID, where you download packs, concept lets us consumers have it both ways. I hate to say it but Google needs to be Apple like in issuing standards to make Games more competive for Android. Unless you read tech sites you are ignorant to know if that new app everyone is playing is even going to work for your phone.

“I though I can play this game because my phone is a Droid!”

“Wait my free phone you gave me can’t play it, but the $199 Quad core Droid Death Dealer is the one that lets me cut fruit in 60 fps does?……….sh*t and can’t upgrade phone for 22 more months huh.”

By: UnderDoc

UnderDoc — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 02:21:00 +0000

Nice one, Chris ;)

Happy fools day, everyone!

PS. Seriously though, there’s no way in hell the best tech writer I know of would support a step towards digital dictatorship. The sole reason Android displaced iOS as the fastest growing platform was it comparable openness. Once that is gone, Android is meh.

Come on, we had this discussion already a couple of days ago. Fragmentation is a made-up problem by butthurt iBoys. Wanna know about fragmented OSes? Take a look at Windows, the indisputable ruler of desktop and laptop OSes.

By: Charbax

Charbax — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:45:00 +0000

Top wankers buy iphone, they are so full of themselves, of course iphone satisfaction survey will measure higher customer satisfaction among iphone owners. That does not mean iphone is achieving any better performance in terms of bringing smartphone technology to the masses.

In fact, Android smartphones reach many more new users, first time Smartphone owners than the iphone does. In fact, most iphone4 owners (about 90%) bought a previous iphone or other Apple device before.

So if you did surveys taking into account the wanker-factor, you will see that regardless of Android’s many custom UI, it’s working much better to empower newbies and true power users alike. As also, you will find through surveys that Android power users are far more technology literate, far more intelligent than iphone users. Basically, any true geek wants Android, and to be an Apple fanboy and comment about it online, you have to be seriously intellectually defective.

By: Jason H

Jason H — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:18:00 +0000

Everyone is freaking out over this, but Android will remain open source, they are not stopping that.

All that I see with this is that any OEMs that want “early” access to code, and direct support from google devs for getting their products running smoothly must sign the anti-fragmentation contract. By early access, that means code that is still being developed, IE not final version code. Everyone will still be able to get AOSP code just as before. Google may daudle a little with getting final code into AOSP in a effort to help enforce this anti-fragmentation, but they must release it per the licence.

If OEMs sign this agreement google will tell them, “Hey, we are working on a new version update for android, called 4.0 Jello, it isn’t finalized yet, but here is some preliminary code to test on your new device projects. We will also work with you directly to ensure your device will run smoothly when it is released.”

The OEMs will want to have this early access and support so they can have the latest and greatest code, along with the support from google to ensure things run smoothly. If they do not have this access, they must use the current AOSP code, which is not going to be the latest code, and they will be on their own to ensure the software works correctly.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:52:00 +0000

I’m for standardization as well. I should be able to uninstall HTC Sense UI and be left with Stock Android. I just hope that we don’t lose HTC’s hardware.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:34:00 +0000

Are you high? Consumer smartphone sales are driving operator profits. Without Android, operators are left with iPhone, BB or lack of WP7, so they would be screwed.

By: The D.A.D.I.

The D.A.D.I. — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:21:00 +0000

Sorry, you’re right, I was not completely concise in what I said. I did not mean that Android was fully closed by any means. Poor choice of words.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:02:00 +0000

good link, thx

By: Proprietary_Android

Proprietary_Android — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:01:00 +0000

“Now, if Google never opens it back up again . . .”

It’s statements like that that are misleading people. Google hasn’t closed Android. They’ve held off releasing Honeycomb because it needs to be integrated into Android. Android in NO WAY WHATSOEVER is closed. They are just mandating that all partners agree to an anti-fragmentation program. If they don’t want to agree to that then they have to wait for the OS to be released as open source instead of getting first shot at it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:59:00 +0000

was going to make a long post, but in short, i think people are overreacting, google has always enforced their rules by granting or not granting access to the market… if you don’t like google rules just go AOSP or something… you think Amazon and Facebook are not going to clash with Google? maybe next year LG or someone will launch the first google-free android phone, i see it as likely

By: Proprietary_Android

Proprietary_Android — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:56:00 +0000

Here’s a good FAQ from MIPS about the issue. . . they are in favor of what Google is doing.
http://www.mips.com/blog/?p=46

I think the OEM’s that are having a problem with this are the ones that are causing the fragmentation–their doing things they know they shouldn’t be doing which breaks Android and causes problems with apps running properly and no way will they update.

Even with these “locked down anti-fragmentation” rules OEM’s can easily differentiate their devices via hardware and custom software.

By: The D.A.D.I.

The D.A.D.I. — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:51:00 +0000

Given the marketshare, I highly doubt that any major carrier, let alone ALL carriers, would even consider stopping the distribution of Android handsets. That would be like AT&T deciding to stop carrying the iPhone because Apple opened the market up to Verizon, too. While it may make a statement to Apple that they want to be the only iPhone carrier, it would make an even more dramatic impact on their own finances and customer base. I see the same being the case for Android — the market has too much momentum for carriers to even consider disrupting the sales of Android devices because of the dramatic hit that it would cause in their sales numbers and profits.

By: The D.A.D.I.

The D.A.D.I. — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:47:00 +0000

By: The D.A.D.I.

The D.A.D.I. — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:44:00 +0000

Agreed.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:42:00 +0000

I dont agree.
Unless Google becomes mobile operator (on his way :p) and manufacturer, he is dependant. If all operators decides one day to stop selling Android handsets, Android is doomed. Same for manufacturers.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:42:00 +0000