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Google Trying New Strategy to Fix Fragmentation
CWmike writes "Google announced a new version of Android this week with some impressive new features, but it's unclear if it's done enough to solve a problem that has dogged its mobile OS: fragmentation. Even as it announced the imminent launch of Android 4.1, or Jelly Bean, the majority of users are still running Gingerbread, which is three major releases behind. According to Google's own figures, just 7 percent are running the current version, Ice Cream Sandwich, which launched last October. That means apps that tap into the latest innovations in the OS aren't available to most Android users. It also means developers, the lifeblood of the platform, are forced to test their apps across multiple devices and multiple versions of the OS. So when Google's Hugo Barra announced a Platform Developer Kit during the opening keynote at I/O this week, the news was greeted with applause. The PDK will provide Android phone makers with a preview version of upcoming Android releases, making it easier for them to get the latest software in their new phones. But is the PDK enough to secure for developers the single user experience for big numbers of Android users that developers crave? In a 'fireside chat' with the Android team, the packed house of developers had more questions about OS fragmentation than Google had answers."
That yields a dramatically better return on investment, and is (I think) the reason developers are less willing to support the latest (or multiple) Android versions.
That and the fact that the return with Android apps is tied directly to the quality of the app and it's popularity, whether it's the free, ad-driven version of an app or a paid one. You can't get away with writing clones of fart noise generators and wallpaper-changing apps and still make some money on Android as you can on iOS. I know that's a bit simplistic, but as a non-developer it seems like its definitely got to be a motivating factor. If your app can make it into the iOS app store, somewhere, globally, people are going to plunk down their dollar to buy it; even if it's complete dogshit you're going to make a little money at first until word gets out. With Android you have to give people a reason to plunk down that dollar from the outset. You really need to produce a good, quality app that stands above the crowd or else your app is going to get buried with the rest of the crap.