Month after month, quarter after quarter, I see the infamous pie chart of where the various versions of the Android operating systems are sitting. Every time I see the percentages changing toward 2.1 and 2.2 I can only help but wonder about two questions.
- How much of that percentage is based off of custom ROM access?
- How many OEM/Carriers are contributing to the slowness of updates?
Those two questions are relatively important. Sadly there is not a lot of data on either of these two topics. Take a look at the most recent update through November 1st. The following pie chart and table is based on the number of Android devices that have accessed Android Market within a 14-day period ending on the data collection date noted below.
Here we have a nice little chart showing the percentage of various Android OS’s being used. To the general reviewer of this information, nothing seems to be off. I highlighted the most important part of the information that gets me wondering so much. The number of Android devices that have accessed Android Market. What this means is that the number of devices running any specific Android OS’s is calculated by which version of the the Android market registers it as. Makes sense. At the same time though the numbers are flawed. Let’s think about why. Team Douche, to name one of the amazing developer teams out there, not too long ago, stated that CyanogenMOD 6.0 was downloaded over 250,000 times. If for some reason you aren’t aware of what CyanogenMOD is then let me explain. The team is responsible for bringing custom 2.1 and 2.2 ROMs to devices such as the My Touch 3G, T-Mobile G1, HTC Hero, HTC Aria and a few other devices out there that started out on less then Android 2.2 and are currently only on a newer OS because of these developers.
So I wonder how much of a percentage is actually FALSE, due to the excellent work of the Android community? I am not saying that the numbers would sway in a huge way. I still think we should be able to take into account the custom work that is being done to bring us these updated OS’s versions. After all, the developers are helping to make Google’s charts bring 2.1 and 2.2 to the top of the list. Does anyone out there have any solid numbers that we can attribute to this at all?
The second question dives into the responsibility of the OEM’s/Carriers. They are the sole reason that your phone has not received that much needed and wanted OS update. Yes, I am directly blaming them for all our woes. Let me explain why I feel this way and know it to be true.
We can very easily start out with the Nexus One. Every update that Google has and will ever make will be rolled out to that device before anyone else will ever see it. This is simply because Google made the phone with HTC how they thought and think a phone should be made: with no bloat ware, no carrier specific applications and no OEM/Carrier custom UI. Simple, powerful, useful and nearly perfect. Although the overall sales of the device were not what Google had thought they could or should be, it still sold well. This doesn’t prove anything yet though does it?
So we move on. Let’s take a look at one of the newer devices launched. How about the Samsung Galaxy S series of devices. The original release date for this device was late July. Froyo from Google became available in June. So we can all understand that a phone that was in production already for all the major U.S. carriers would not launch with 2.2. I can understand that. One thing I do remember Samsung saying though was how minimally integrated Touch Wiz was to make updates easier and faster to achieve for the consumers. Here we are in the end of November and still no update. Not officially anyways. The I9000 in the UK got their update. I know the Fascinate has one close at hand. With the Touch Wiz UI being “minimally integrated”, whats the hold up? How can such a huge company take so long to bring 2.2 to the supposed largest internationally launched device to date? The device that they want to see go “Diamond” by the end of the year. This directly ties back into the OEM’s/Carriers continuing their reign of fragmentation control.
What incentive does Samsung have to move all the devices they have put out there to 2.2 when they are supposedly the makers of the Samsung Nexus S running 2.3? Why on earth would a carrier like T-Mobile want to take the 2.2 software and add their bloat ware to it when they really want you to buy the G2 or the MyTouch 4G instead?
We could spend another hour or more discussing the multiple failures that exist in the industry we have grown to reluctantly accept. I won’t do that to you. You as the consumer can see who and where all this frustration comes from. They advise against ROOT and custom ROM’s but in the end it’s the only way for us to have the software that we should have already had on our $500 devices that most of us are still paying off.
The solution to this situation is simple. If a carrier simply launched amazingly built phones with amazing hardware and keep the devices good old Vanilla Android we would be headed in the right direction. From there they build their custom UI and release it into the market. Not for free, but for a price. For illustration purposes only say, 100,000 phones sold with Sense. But 500,000 people with different devices bought a Sense home replacement app in the market for 9.99 or even 19.99 Would they gain more money or lose money on their software?
We have seen specific applications become available for certain devices in the past. Would it be too terribly difficult for HTC to set it up that only an HTC device could purchase the software? Take it a step further, I buy a Samsung Vibrant but want the Sense UI. I am buying a Vibrant regardless, wouldn’t it be nice if HTC still made some money though. This could easily apply to a multitude of devices and UI’s.
If the OEM’s/Carriers paid attention to any of this we would have happier customers across multiple devices and multiple carriers. People will buy the device they like and go with the carrier they want. That will never change. Put them on the spot to actually make solid, unique and usable devices. Then they can consistently update the software for and keep the public happy.
Anyone else with me on any of this or am I just crazy?
About the Author
I’m with you. If manufacturers want to make custom UIs they should replace them as launcher replacements. If Android 2.3 lets the launcher app determine other, more global elements of the phone’s UI, all the better. Unfortunately I don’t see a way around bloatware on this model, but making the carrier skins optional AND interchangeable would certainly be a great step.
I was just thinking about this earlier today. I bought my Android device the week it came out in June. I wasn’t looking for a high end device, but had I known then what I know today, I would have stuck it out for a few more months with my malfunctioning Blackberry.
Not only am I still waiting for FroYo 5 months later, but my device is already out of date. The improvements made on devices coming out now versus the device I bought at launch are enough to make me consider trading up. However, the other problem is how quick the price came down on my device.
Had I waited a single month I could have gotten it for half of what I paid and it just keeps cheaper. I wouldn’t be able to get enough money for it used to justify paying a contract free price for a new device. And if I did I would probably be fallen with the same problem in another 5 months. It feels like a catch-22.
I love that Android is getting so many improvements and that the hardware developers are eager to push them out, but since I (like I would assume most people do) do not upgrade phones but once every (about) 2 years based on the agreement I made with the carrier I am buying the device from I feel like these upgrades are too frequent. Save them up, wait a year, the new device will be leaps and bounds beyond the old one and and customers will feel better about buying your new device.
Had I known how the last 5 months were going to go in June, then I would have spent the extra money and bought a Nexus One.
Root your phone and the problem will go away. I have a Droid1 rooted and using a custom rom and i am running version 2.2.1. The phone runs flawlessly and a lot faster than stock. I am not a computer geek and rooting was a breeze.
The fragmentation concern was a major concern the minute Google decided that Android was going to be an open platform. With so many manufacturers competing for market share, hardware differences provide one of the reasons for the fragmentation. IF these manufacturers just made hardware and did not come out with their own bloatware and Google made sure that they controlled the software, as in the case of Nexus One, then there would be little to non-existent fragmentation issues. As a consumer, I buy hardware based on the manufacturers’ speed in rolling out software updates. We all know that hardware isn’t everything. Just take Nexus One as the best example. So many handsets have come and gone and N1 still beats the crap out of the best out there. Why? Software. IF I had a T-Mobile phone at the time, I would have bought the Nexus One and would be laughing at the manufacturer bloatware that others are dealing with. I have the Evo 4G and rooted it the moment I could. Rooting is freedom from bloatware.If the hardware manufacturers wanted their own bloatware, they should market them as alternative home applications like LauncherPro and ADW.Launcher. Why?Marketing – Hardware: It makes sense to be a manufacturer and be in the forefront of innovation. If you believe that you have a strong hardware, you can be certain that the geeks out there will know it and buy it. Fill it up with the stock Android. Marketing – Bloatware: If you come up with kick-ass bloatware, you can be certain also that people will know it and buy it! Bloatwares should be marketed as value-added products from hardware manufacturers. As it is, current manufacturer bloatwares are like balls and chains. The bloatwares 1) make or breaks handset sales and 2) increase fragmentation.Google has given hardware manufacturers too much freedom. I say give that freedom to the consumers. See if any other mobile OS can come close. I’m pretty sure, it will create a very competitive Android market in both hardware and software departments.
I absolutely agree but the price for new software should be cheap. Say $9.99. They would make tons of money and would encourage even more updates or replacements.
It’s manufacturers and carriers who ruin the Android experience, by modifying and locking the devices.Every device with compliant hardware should be upgradeable to the latest OS version provided by Google. All the manufacturers have to provide is drivers, and they should do it in a timely manner — they all have access to betas of the OS from Google, so there is no excuse for failing to have drivers ready at the time of the official OS release.If manufacturers and carriers believe that they can provide better user experience through launchers and widgets, they should decouple them from the OS and provide them through the Market.I personally will not buy another Android device which is locked and is not Google Experience compliant. If there is no such device available, I will abandon Android.
the whole thing about making custom UIs is to make the devices more appealing. HTC has it’s sense UI to make it’s own phones more appealing. From a customer perspective, yes, it would be nice to be able to just download any UI with any device. From a manufacturers standpoint, they made the UI to improve their devices, why give others that same edge? if you want the sense UI you need to buy HTC.
I can understand that. Really I can. I know they are designed to give the edge in the competition. Lets face it the competition is stiff. Does anyone know the % of people that replace those UIs with launcher pro? Or ADW Launcher? How many people have rooted their phones to get rd of the “User Experience” I buy a phone based on hardware and feel. Not the UI thats embedded. Thats my opinion though.
HTC can still sell their device. set up the device stock, then through the launcher and widgets to the market. Samsung did it with the home dock and car dock applications. If you aren’t using a Galaxy S device on their stock firmware the market won’t show you the applications. HTC can easily do the same thing.
I think you’ve got a great idea. The carriers should go with the freemium model. I think the HTC clock/weather app is great, even though I prefer Sony Ericsson phones. I would like to be able to cherry-pick the features I like from other phones and fully customize my phone to my own specs. I am not a fan of Swype, but I can see that making money as an add-on too. It would be nice if the carriers were forced to release their choke hold on the market.
As much as I like the customization on the Xperia, I would rather have Froyo. I’d be happy with Eclair, but AT&T has yet to announce any plans for an update.
I strongly agree
Would it not be possible for Google to release updates OTA for all Android devices. Why can’t they just release the update for all devices from a google server, and it keeps the drivers that are already being used on the device, just updating the other system components, much like the way a service pack gets installed in the Windows O/S. This makes sense to me. I understand that the carrier would want to test their apps, etc, and the Sense UI software, but if it was developed and tested on Android 2.X, I can only hope the app should work flawlessly on all 2.X versions. Why would the app or UI addon need to be modified for each OS revision?
I also strongly agree with keeping ALL devices on plain old Vanilla Android and allowing the option to purchase these “overlays” from the Market. Updates would come out SO MUCH faster. I actually bought LauncherPro Plus as my home replacement app because I want to be able to customize it myself. I think these interface overlays are kind of missing part of the point of Android which is customization and choice. Stick with one basic interface and let the USER decide if they want to alter the interface.
I don’t see fragmentation being a problem with everyone; it’s usually the same group of customers who would consider having their phone ‘rooted’ and understand what it truly means. That being said, there isn’t a single smoking gun when it comes to who’s to blame for any fragmentation that exists – that rests in the hands of the manufacturer, who need to release groundbreaking devices, the carrier, who needs to have innovative products, and customers, how need to feel like they have a phone worth bragging about.
Additionally – looking at the pie chart above, it doesn’t seem too fragmented. You’re going to have some devices whos drivers and processors won’t do well with the latest version of software, and then on the top end, you see manufacturers and carriers who are just waiting to get the latest version.
The expectation for software upgrades is different with cell phones than with other devices. Computers, for example, receive updates, but when a new version exists, it’s purchased at a premium. Cell phone customers won’t accept paying for a new software version (by and large) and until someone is paid to build upgrades, this system will stay in place. It’s the hidden costs of having open source software; as long as people are building custom ROMs for free, why would you pay for it?
1) Please stop using the term “fragmentation”. Fragmentation means that we need to port evert app to every phone. It’s complete hypocrisy for Jobs to start this mess, when OSX and the C language are truly fragmented.
2) We are in 100% agreement here.
3) Samsung has a
Sorry about that messy comment DISCUS and my phone don’t work together well. #1 should say “this conversation” instead of “this mess”.
2) Touch Wiz is implemented as a launcher replacement, but Samsung also has there own file system.
3) If Samsung simply bundled the binaries for there custom code with the open source froyo that is on their Website, then we would be rockin’ froyo by now.
Sorry about that messy comment DISCUS and my phone don’t work together well. #1 should say “this conversation” instead of “this mess”.
2) Touch Wiz is implemented as a launcher replacement, but Samsung also has there own file system.
3) If Samsung simply bundled the binaries for there custom code with the open source froyo that is on their Website, then we would be rockin’ froyo by now.
Argh! “their” not “there”.
Argh! “their” not “there”.
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