How serious is Android fragmentation? One developer tackles 4,000 devices

Android, an open source operating system developed by Google , adheres to the principle of openness. The price of openness is freedom and a certain degree of chaos. The fragmentation of the Android ecosystem in terms of software customization (ROM) and hardware products is no longer news. Recently, data released by a mobile software developer once again shows the latest status of Android fragmentation.

Data shows that this developer's software has been installed on nearly 4,000 Android devices. The massive number of devices and customized systems has brought a considerable burden to software adaptation.

On the Android system, mobile phone manufacturers around the world can freely modify and customize it based on the free source code, so there are a large number of customized versions of Android (commonly known as "ROM" or "UI"). Among the Android phones and tablets around the world, there are only a handful of devices that directly run the official Google version of Android.

In terms of hardware, the openness and freeness of Android have also spawned a large number of Android phone and device manufacturers. In Shenzhen, China, a small workshop can purchase parts and launch a new Android phone or tablet within a few days.

Recently, the developer of the mobile software OpenSignalMaps published data on the distribution of software and hardware platforms on which the software is installed on an online forum.

It is said that the number of Android devices that have installed this software has reached 3,997. The most popular Android device on the market is Samsung Electronics ' S2 phone.

In addition, users of 1,363 Android devices logged in only once after downloading the software, which may have been uninstalled later.

The Android device market is not sufficiently concentrated. Data shows that the top 25 devices in terms of installed base do not account for half of the total number.

It is said that the nearly 4,000 Android hardware devices mentioned above come from 599 manufacturers and brands. Generally speaking, each Android manufacturer will customize and modify the Android system and launch its own customized ROM. Therefore, it can be roughly understood that the above application software has entered nearly 600 ROMs.

The screen resolutions of Android hardware devices are also varied. The above software has counted a total of 13 common screen resolutions, and more than a dozen non-mainstream screen resolutions.

In contrast, for Apple 's iOS devices, developers only need to deal with four major screen resolutions.

The Apple iOS ecosystem is completely controlled by Apple. On smartphones and tablets, developers only need to adapt to a few hardware models (Apple Watch is the latest iOS hardware to be added), which helps improve the fluency and user experience of application software.

Of course, facing the fragmentation of the Android ecosystem, Google has taken measures to rectify it. Starting from Android 5.0, the design and aesthetics of Android's user interface have been improved to a higher level, and more hardware manufacturers have supported the official version of Android.

In addition, Google is still continuing to promote its own-brand Nexus hardware plan. The latest news is that the new generation of Nexus flagship phones will imitate Apple and implement a dual-machine strategy with different configurations, inviting LG Electronics and Huawei Technologies to produce them.

In addition, Google has launched the "Android One" mobile phone plan in developing countries. The operating system and application software in smartphones are all packaged, pre-installed and upgraded by Google. Mobile phone manufacturers participating in this plan in various countries only need to be responsible for hardware configuration, OEM manufacturing, sales and customer service, which will also help solve the fragmentation problem.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.