The Android ecosystem is a pretty non-homogenous one

Aug 5, 2015 14:31 GMT  ·  By

The much talked-about Android fragmentation problem has been plaguing the mobile operating system for years, though Google has been struggling to maintain a level of control.

The underlying problem? There are just so many different devices and form factors running on a multitude of Android versions that, naturally, they end up causing developers all sorts of pains. On the other hand, Android fragmentation has a positive side effect. In this sea of options, users can surely identify a device which is especially tailored to their needs.

But what does Android fragmentation really look like? OpenSignal shed some light on this today by providing us with the latest 2015 Android fragmentation report.

The firm saw 24,093 distinct devices download their app in the past few months, which constitutes a notable increase compared to the 18,796 of last year and the 11,868 registered in 2013.

Android fragmentation is on the rise

This year, OpenSignal also found an increase in fragmentation, following the trend that arose in the last few years. It was noticed that fragmentation grew with manufacturers, with over 1000 device makers making an appearance this year, which were not present on the market in 2012.

Samsung is still top dog, but the Korean tech giant has seen a drop in its global Android device market share, from 43% to 37.8%.

OverSingnal’s graph showcasing fragmentation in terms of manufacturers also indicates that Samsung’s dominion is again quite evident, with the company owning 12 out of 13 most popular devices out there.

Next stop, OverSignal shares with us info about Android version fragmentation but utilizes numbers that are bit outdated, it seems. Just yesterday Google published its latest Android adoption figures showing that Android 5.1 is now installed on 2.6% devices, while Android 5.0 Lollipop lives on 15.5% of the devices currently on the market.

As for Android 4.4 KitKat, the mobile OS is still the widest spread version with 39.3%. OverSignal’s figures are a little bit different probably because they don’t include ALL Android devices, but just the ones that have downloaded the OpenSignal app over the past few months.

The report goes on to talk about screen fragmentation which naturally has to do with the various form factors to be found in the Android world. On top of that, we’re being told that device manufacturers’ custom skins (like Samsung’s TouchWiz and HTC Sense UI) also affect non-homogeneity.

OpenSignal also outlines a map showing the leading manufacturer for each country, and Samsung seems to be ruling in most territories. Xiaomi is king in China, while LG is pretty popular in South American countries like Argentina.

Check out the Android fragmentation graphs in the photo gallery below.

Android fragmentation in visuals (4 Images)

Device fragmentation
Brand fragmentationAndroid OS version fragmentation
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