At long last Google has released some very real – and very revealing numbers – showing the Google Android fragmentation issue at its most straightforward. As the graph below released by Google to its Developers on the 15th July 2010 indicates, of the four main OS flavours of Android (Version 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2) currently released and available for purchase by consumers, general usage is as follows:

While a respectable 55% are already up to speed on the latest 2.1 software, a whopping 41% of current users are still operating on older OS versions – either 1.5 or 1.6. What’s perhaps even more concerning is the still ongoing sales of both the 1.5 and 1.6 versions in just about every Operator and Mobile Phone shop on the high street.

From a developer perspective, it is important to remember that while all Android Apps are forward-compatible (meaning an app designed using API’s available to the 1.5 software will still work on every subsequent OS release), Google Apps are crucially NOT backward-compatible (so Developers building apps designed to take advantage of new app features made available in recent versions – say 1.6 or 2.1 –  are creating apps that will remain unavailable to any older OS versions).

While sounding innocent enough, this backward-compatibility issue is an absolute killer – and a glaring reason why most developers have adopted an unfortunate ‘lowest common denominator’ development approach – choosing to limit app features to those available in the 1.5 OS – thus ensuring the broadest app coverage.

The predictable result, a clear drain on app innovation, and a resounding ‘anchor’ to the potential of competing with Apple’s App suite in comparable App functionality, total features, and native support.

To further illustrate this, the second graph (also released by Google) shows where to ‘target’ your development when trying for 100% OS compliance (hint: just look along the top to see that OS 1.5 is the only SDK to use if you are planning for full Android compliance):

Needless to say, for App Developers, content providers, consultants, product managers, and anyone contemplating an Android App development – these are very important graphs to understand. And with the data only a few days old, it is further proof to the continuing issue of Android OS and App fragmentation.

Money where your mouth is post coming here…and apologies in advance for the Julia Roberts film references that lie herein.

With the increasing advances of the Android OS (2.2 Froyo), recent reports the platform has surpassed a billion app downloads, and somewhat skewed data showing faster Android OS user-adoption over its more polished antenna-challenged counterpart, I have decided it’s high time I upgrade my rather clunky G1 Google Developer handset to a shiny new 2.1 (or even 2.2 driven) Android contemporary.

While none of my views have changed in terms of the growing fragmentation of the Android platform, lack of quality apps in the Google Market, and the dangers of increased app dilution with the release of the sandbox toy, Google App Inventor – I’m still rather excited to throw both devices on a table (using top of the line hardware examples and running the latest OS versions) and run a series of personal grudge matches on usability, app performance, and OS features.

For the record, I’m not new to Android, having ‘tinkered’ with the platform since its release with Entropy Digital’s first in-house app development almost two years ago (iJournalist), and still own and occasionally switch on that vintage G1 handset every few weeks – only to be annoyed at the lack of upgrade potential freeing me from the OS 1.5 gulag in which all 12 month-old Android handsets remain banished.

Honestly, the rabid (and extremely sloppy) release cycle of Android OS upgrades (from Cupcake to Eclair to Froyo), has left me feeling like the Android platform is no more than a kind of masquerading ‘Neo-Symbian’ agent in iPhone-esque attire.

As I have regularly counselled against Android App deployments until Google aggressively sort out their App Store and OS issues (something I continue to recommend until HTC and other handset manufacturers bring a majority of their Android devices ‘already in the wild’ up to the 2.2 OS standard later this Autumn), I still feel it’s important to get a hands-on view of Froyo, Eclair, an AMOLED screen or two, and the general shopping and handset selection situation for consumers on the platform first-hand.

To that end, I’m Shopping for Android (cue ‘Pretty Woman’ by Roy Orbison)- and for those unaware of the number of handsets and OS flavours currently available in their local Carphone Warehouse – this ain’t no easy feat. Nexus One, HTC Wildfire, Desire, Legend, Tattoo, Touch2, Samsung Galaxy, Xperia, Hero…it’s like 2003 all over again (only this time I’m not shopping for a Motorola flip phone or a handset name lacking the requisite number of vowels to be anything but annoying – Pebl, Rockr, etc).

No friends, this is the future of touchscreen pocket computing and if you’re gonna talk smack – you gotta play with the goods. So out with the G1 and happy hunting for a shiny new (2.1 or above) Android Dynamo*.

I have a feeling this may take some time, so stay tuned for more updates from the Android shopping trenches. Till then – Froyo or Tattoo or 2.2 or Desire or Wildfire or whatever – let’s dance!

*Please Note: I simply chose the word ‘Dynamo’ for effect, and am not actually sure that device name formally exists. Any usage is purely coincidental and apologies to HTC if a new handset bearing said name is indeed forthcoming – although you gotta admit they have miraculously neglected it in their product line thusfar.

Tough to argue with jokes like the below. Kinda sums up the new Entropy Digital mantra – and the stereotype consultants must battle with when trying to roll up their sleeves and truly get positive ‘work’ done.

Similar to ‘lawyer jokes’ there’s more than a little truth in this…

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