In the most basic form, Android Fragmentation relates to the idea that there is a large range of Android OS models usable and operating in the modern world. Not all on Android can upgrade their operating system at the same time.
Furthermore, to avoid alienating any customers, every software attempting to corner the Android market must operate on every single OS and OS update. With the number of different models available, it’s easy to see how “fragmentation” will be a nightmare for in-app developers and testers.
According to Which, 40 percent of Android devices worldwide are no longer getting critical protection alerts from Google. As a result, they are vulnerable to identity loss, ransomware assaults, and various security breaches.
This puts more strain on app developers since they must build operating systems with insecure protection. Android fragmentation is, unsurprisingly, regarded as the OS’s most serious flaw. Even though Android is used on 74.6 percent of the world’s mobile devices, it is often criticized as being inferior to iOS owing to this aspect. Read more about how to use Bitcoins to conduct safe transactions at https://cryptorevolt.app
Why Does Android Fragmentation Occur?
The main cause of Android fragmentation can be summed up in two words: open-source software. Manufacturers can experiment with and use Android to their hearts’ content, subject to certain limitations. Naturally, they are often in charge of providing patches specific to the Android versions available on their smartphones.
It’s possible that not every manufacturer can want to offer notifications regularly. Furthermore, certain Android versions may have been heavily updated and may not react to changes created for other Android versions. Because of Android’s open-source nature, manufacturers often “skin” their variant of the operating system.
This applies to a manufacturer’s customized version of the operating system designed specifically for a device. Consider the distinctions between Nexus and MIUI-based smartphones. Despite the fact that they use the same operating system, their visual and functional features are significantly different.
Take the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 as an example. The handset is equipped with an iris scanner, which was previously unavailable on stock Android models. As a result, Samsung tweaked the OS before it could, resulting in an Android edition that was only available on that one unit. Consider the same situation, but with several manufacturers and products under any of them.
Effects of Android Fragmentation
Android’s widespread fragmentation has various and far-reaching implications for the digital economy and hardware and software creation activities.
Inconsistency
To run properly, some applications can need a specific Android version as well as specific application functionality. With too many Android models on the market, there’s no certainty that all, or even a significant portion, of active Android users, will be updated to the latest update.
The number of possible customers that an app will target is severely limited as a result of this. It’s also challenging to customize the software for each edition due to the sheer number of them.
Development and QA Difficulties
For developers and testers, the large amount of device-Android edition variations inevitably creates technological difficulties. When developing or testing an app, both the app creator and tester must consider a bewildering array of devices and Android OS models.
For developers, optimizing an app for any possible Android smartphone is nothing short of frustrating. Also, testers would validate the software on as many actual device-Android configurations as possible, which may be daunting and costly if the proper infrastructure is not in place.
Bad For BYOD
When BYOD policies are used to enforce business mobility, Android may be a challenge. Android fragmentation ensures that the enterprise would have to cope with various protection problems because of the differences between Android models. This makes app and protection maintenance difficult and time-consuming.
How to Deal with Android Fragmentation?
In 2020, smartphone consumers would demand nothing less than excellence from the app they use. Since any product must compete against several rivals, consumers may delete it at the first sign of trouble. In reality, 56% of users uninstall apps during the first seven days of their download. There’s a good risk that an app would be discarded because it’s safe.
Testing apps on actual Android devices is the best way to guarantee that they are stable and work well. A company won’t be able to set up, run, and update an on-premise Android application lab because it has a lot of money to spare. With modern smartphones and Android models being launched at a breakneck pace, it’s easy to see how an up-to-date device lab will cost a small fortune.
Developers and testers will use a real-world device cloud to run simulations. It essentially allows them to monitor software success and effectiveness on actual Android devices without needing to gather or manage any hardware. Browser Stack offers the cloud platform that makes these types of tests possible.
They can also use the actual browsers built on these Android devices to research websites. Android testing may be done by signing up for a free account and selecting the software and Android edition mix of their preference.