Android co-founder thinks fragmentation issue is ‘overblown’
As much as Apple would like to rub it in the faces of Android users, fragmentation isn’t the hyped-up issue it was only a few years ago. Concerns about a scattered platform haven’t quite panned out as some predicted. While Android users are still split mostly between three major platform versions (Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean), Google has actually done a pretty good job of creating a consistent mobile experience for its users. Speaking this week at the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, Android co-found Rich Miner agrees.
Miner is of the opinion that fragmentation talk is still “overblown,” and points to the difference between the common user and tech enthusiasts and the blogosphere. Miner posits that the average smartphone buyer is happy with the experience their device offers. They don’t necessarily yearn for new software updates or particularly care when they arrive.
It might be a bit of a generalization to categorize the average smartphone user as ignorant to things like software versions and updates. Looking again at Apple, they definitely do a good job of building up hype for their iOS updates. More recently Google has shifted away from turning the release of each new Android iteration into a marquee event, which probably works in their favor. Still, there is no denying that there is indeed a level of fragmentation with Android that can often create a frustrating experience for users.
[via Xconomy]