The Google Nexus Experience

[Tk1917]

 

There is a big problem with the Android platform, and it has plagued it since its beginning; fragmentation. Due to the vast number of devices and device manufacturers out there consistent updates aren?t always delivered to every single device come every new version of Android. Now, this does make sense in certain cases; for instance, devices that are three or more years old would, as expected, be phased away ? la natural selection. However, ever since the Nexus S Google has aimed, nay, made a pledge to guarantee software updates on their Nexus devices for at least 18 months from the device being released....

 

 

http://thebackbencher.co.uk/google-nexus-experience-thoughts-lifetime-android-user/

[BetaAddict]

This article is nothing more than poorly supported opinions.

 

So just because it took an extra couple of weeks to get out updates for the N4 and N7, the nexus experience is bad now? This is a natural part of the process as time goes on, there will be more nexus devices they have to provide support for, so it will take a little bit longer. I would rather wait a little bit longer for a stable update than one with a lot of bugs.

 

With regards to not providing always on listening features on other phones, part it has to do with hardware, since it requires an S800 or chip that supports voice processing. While there are other devices that fulfill this requirement, it's too much trouble for google to have to explain to average users why their phone doesn't support certain features while others can. This adds a new category of fragmentation of user experience. So easiest way to remove this burden and confusion is to make it exclusive to a device they know will support it. By the time, Android 5.0 comes out, OEMs will make sure their latest phones will be made so that these features are supported and google can release these features to everyone.

[Growled Member]

 

There is a big problem with the Android platform, and it has plagued it since its beginning; fragmentation

 

I have 4.1.2 on my Note 2, and I haven't noticed any fragmentation.

[Jeston Veteran]

I have 4.1.2 on my Note 2, and I haven't noticed any fragmentation.

Fragmentation is when there are many different Android devices out there that all run on different versions of the Android OS. Your phone being on 4.1.2 when the up to date phones are on 4.4.1 confirms fragmentation still exists. Is it as bad of a thing as some people make it out to be ? No.

[Growled Member]

 Is it as bad of a thing as some people make it out to be ? No.

 

Which was my point. Fragmentation is only a bad thing if it leads to problems, and it rarely does on Android.

[Anibal P]

Compared to iOS Android is barely fragmented, and Google doesn't release crippled versions of Android for older devices or remove features just to claim all devices are running the same version

[Dotdot]

Fragmentation like how desktop OS` come in many a flavour and service pack?

Like the people who dont upgrade there IOs devices?

Sorry but, can/could be said for pretty much every OS ever.

Invalid argument imho.

[techbeck]

Same stuff that has been brought up by several for years. Doesnt seem to be affecting/hurting the platform much...if at all.

Anyway, same old argument..different day.

[The Norwegian Drone Pilot]

I'll just leaves this here: http://paulstamatiou.com/android-is-better#

 

And this one is also something that you should see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buGpyCgqmfE

[The Evil Overlord]

I'll just leaves this here: http://paulstamatiou.com/android-is-better#

Agreed, My wife has begged, pleaded, coerced and threatened me to trade my s3 for her iphone once she found out the syncing and podcasts were available via my phone and some were simpler, one touch affairs.

I find these fragmentation arguments laughable and a little annoying, it's not perfect, but then what os is?

 

edit

 

I just watched that vid you linked, some users have forgotten (I'm not saying you're one of them) that Symbian had most of those dating back to before Nokia N95, (If I remember correctly the 6630 had reject with sms, attatchment while composing, I never used video calling on 3g but it did have the option, just to mention 3)

[Rippleman]

Compared to iOS Android is barely fragmented, and Google doesn't release crippled versions of Android for older devices or remove features just to claim all devices are running the same version

i am sure you live in a world all of your own with the odd stuff you say here in the forum...

[tsupersonic]

I think a lot of people make out the fragmentation to be more of an issue than it really needs to be. Having said that, I think Android update system could use some improvements. Being as we all want the latest and greatest, I wish Google could push the latest release quicker to the Nexus devices. 

[FloatingFatMan]

i am sure you live in a world all of your own with the odd stuff you say here in the forum...

Prove him wrong then.

[Rippleman]

Prove him wrong then.

i know you are good at math, fragmentation is a factor of products (X) Operating Systems (X) Screen resolution. When looking at andriod vs IOS, its a huge difference. Even with my nexus devices (4 and a 7 tablet) there are some apps the new kit kat just wont be able to download since the app is "not built for this version of operating system". And that started even with 4.3. On my iphone and ipad, i have not seen a single issue of this.

[Dick Montage]

i know you are good at math, fragmentation is a factor of products (X) Operating Systems (X) Screen resolution. When looking at andriod vs IOS, its a huge difference. Even with my nexus devices (4 and a 7 tablet) there are some apps the new kit kat just wont be able to download since the app is "not built for this version of operating system". And that started even with 4.3. On my iphone and ipad, i have not seen a single issue of this.

 

I have had 5 different android devices over the last 2.5 or so years.  Various resolutions, sizes, versions, aspects.  Never once experienced any issues.

 

Let me expand that: I have setup over 30 different devices of various resolutions, sizes, versions, aspects.  Never once experienced any issues.

 

I make no claim that fragmentation doesn't exist.  What I do state as fact is that it has never negatively impacted me or anyone I know using android.

[Kreuger]

i know you are good at math, fragmentation is a factor of products (X) Operating Systems (X) Screen resolution. When looking at andriod vs IOS, its a huge difference. Even with my nexus devices (4 and a 7 tablet) there are some apps the new kit kat just wont be able to download since the app is "not built for this version of operating system". And that started even with 4.3. On my iphone and ipad, i have not seen a single issue of this.

I don't have KitKat yet but I've been using Android since Gingerbread and I have never seen this before.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

i know you are good at math, fragmentation is a factor of products (X) Operating Systems (X) Screen resolution. When looking at andriod vs IOS, its a huge difference. Even with my nexus devices (4 and a 7 tablet) there are some apps the new kit kat just wont be able to download since the app is "not built for this version of operating system". And that started even with 4.3. On my iphone and ipad, i have not seen a single issue of this.

Care to give us examples of apps exhibiting this problem? I have yet to see an app incompatible because it's 'not built for this version of Android'.

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

not wanting to fuel a flame war or aggrivate people. There is a sad simple truth when it comes to Android Fragmentation. It is NOT Google's fault. It is the manufacturers. Google by contract requires hardware manufacturers to support their devices with the latest versions of android for a certain amount of time. But Manufacturers would rather crank out a new device to keep making money rather than support their device for that time period. So they just pay the penalty to Google and keep on making newer devices.

 

Also whatever alterations the OEM makes to android will also effect how the performance of the device is. So you end up with Samsung and Motorola making a device with nearly the same specifications however, one will run better than the other on the same version of android because one of them will bloat it up with all sorts of garbage that Google did not intend for.

[Noir Angel]

People here blather on about Android fragmentation as if it's some killer issue when it really isn't. By definition when you have to update drivers and software there's going to be a lag between RTW and customer updates but in general terms the API differences between Android 4.1 and 4.4 aren't that massive so as long as you're at least on 4.1 you're reasonably current, and even old single core devices like the Galaxy S are capable of running 4.1 reasonably well.

 

Not like Microsoft ever solved the issue either, in fact their decision to drop WP7 was even worse for customers, I know some people with old Android 2.3.3 phones and they will still run *most* modern apps. Fragmentation on Android is basically just a meaningless buzzphrase used by this forum's resident anti Google trumpeters, in real world terms it's not a big problem.

[adrynalyne]

I don't have KitKat yet but I've been using Android since Gingerbread and I have never seen this before.

It is an issue, but a very small one.

 

For instance, Gingerbread cannot run 4.0+ designed apps unless backwards compatibility is written in.

 

Dashclock, for example, requires 4.2+ on the device.  That means while my Note 3 can run it, my Note 2 cannot.

[Skiver Veteran]

I'm sorry, am I reading something that says Andoid has an issue because newer app's won't work on older versions of it's OS?

Is that like complaining that my Office 2013 won't install on Win XP? or is it that applications I ran in XP that havent been updated to Win 8 don't work properly?

I am sorry but at some point older app's either have to be updated to support newer OS's and newer app's have to drop support for older versions, this isn't anything new.

[Rippleman]

I don't have KitKat yet but I've been using Android since Gingerbread and I have never seen this before.

a major app for me is a hugely popular classifieds site up here in canada owned by Ebay called "Kijiji", there are many others that i come across, would have to look up their names though.

 

Care to give us examples of apps exhibiting this problem? I have yet to see an app incompatible because it's 'not built for this version of Android'.

a major app for me is a hugely popular classifieds site up here in canada owned by Ebay called "Kijiji", there are many others that i come across, would have to look up their names though.

[Rippleman]

I'm sorry, am I reading something that says Andoid has an issue because newer app's won't work on older versions of it's OS?

Is that like complaining that my Office 2013 won't install on Win XP? or is it that applications I ran in XP that havent been updated to Win 8 don't work properly?

I am sorry but at some point older app's either have to be updated to support newer OS's and newer app's have to drop support for older versions, this isn't anything new.

a couple things are reversed, older apps not working on the newer versions of the OS

[Rippleman]

I have had 5 different android devices over the last 2.5 or so years.  Various resolutions, sizes, versions, aspects.  Never once experienced any issues.

 

Let me expand that: I have setup over 30 different devices of various resolutions, sizes, versions, aspects.  Never once experienced any issues.

 

I make no claim that fragmentation doesn't exist.  What I do state as fact is that it has never negatively impacted me or anyone I know using android.

it doesn't affect me either for the apps i do find conflicting since you can just install from the .apk file, but it just shows you the more various versions you have the higher the probability for potential problems.

[FloatingFatMan]

i know you are good at math, fragmentation is a factor of products (X) Operating Systems (X) Screen resolution. When looking at andriod vs IOS, its a huge difference. Even with my nexus devices (4 and a 7 tablet) there are some apps the new kit kat just wont be able to download since the app is "not built for this version of operating system". And that started even with 4.3. On my iphone and ipad, i have not seen a single issue of this.

 

I was speaking specifically of the post of Zolphi3ls you replied to. This one:

 

Compared to iOS Android is barely fragmented, and Google doesn't release crippled versions of Android for older devices or remove features just to claim all devices are running the same version

 

You essentially claimed that was false, but didn't back it up.  Can you?  Because what he said IS a fact, when Apple release newer OS's on older devices, they have features removed, and usually cripple said older device in one way or another, like making it unusably slow.