The Google Nexus Experience

[Skiver Veteran]

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

Ok, but surely that is the same as someone creating an application/program on win XP and that then not working on Win 8? Stuff changes in the OS, if the dev doesnt keep up with said changes then stuff will break.

 

As someone else came out, this has nothing to do with Android/Google but more down to the developers themselves coding the app. I work for a software company, I know first hand that when Microsoft releases a new OS that we have to go through testing to ensure stuff doesnt break so for a while (and sometimes for too long) we say we can't support and OS. Whats the alternative? releasing the software and have so many people complain when it doesn't work and ruin our reputation?

[Astra.Xtreme]

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'.

I have a few games on my Nexus 7 that either won't load anymore or are really laggy.  I didn't have these issues before updating to Kitkat, so this is simply the faults of the developers for not updating their apps.

 

The problem is that since a small audience gets the new updates, developers aren't really in any hurry to release necessary fixes.  That's the true problem of fragmentation.  iOS has these same issues when the new version comes out every year, but developers are really quick to release updates before issues hit the masses.  Imo, that's why the user experience is far superior on iOS.

[Rippleman]

Ok, but surely that is the same as someone creating an application/program on win XP and that then not working on Win 8? Stuff changes in the OS, if the dev doesnt keep up with said changes then stuff will break.

 

As someone else came out, this has nothing to do with Android/Google but more down to the developers themselves coding the app. I work for a software company, I know first hand that when Microsoft releases a new OS that we have to go through testing to ensure stuff doesnt break so for a while (and sometimes for too long) we say we can't support and OS. Whats the alternative? releasing the software and have so many people complain when it doesn't work and ruin our reputation?

i know its not googles fault. I was mearly piont out the end possible result with many versions for devolopers to account for. Problems like this can't but not happen.

 

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

 

 

 

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.

facts only for the people who hate apple which wouldn't be facts at all and only slanted opinions. I have seen no speed difference in many 3gs models going from IOS 4 to 5 to the latest 6. Also, I have seen no speed difference in iphones 4's, 4s's, 5's going from version 5 up to IOS 7... when he stated "cripple" that means something is not operating as intended. If a 3 gs (or even a 4) doesn't have Siri, then it isn't exactly "crippled" if Siri is left out of the update when going to  a newer OS since it didn't have it to begin with. A minus is only a minus if something is taken away.

[adrynalyne]

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.

In that case, you need to blame the developer, not Android fragmentation.  The developer has power in whether something shows compatible on the market.

 

It is one thing if it doesn't work, and quite another if the developer has decided that they only want to support certain versions.

[Rippleman]

In that case, you need to blame the developer, not Android fragmentation.  The developer has power in whether something shows compatible on the market.

 

It is one thing if it doesn't work, and quite another if the developer has decided that they only want to support certain versions.

actually i 100% agree, but having said that, it is STILL the very definition of fragmentation... less versions = less possible conflicts = less worry from "does it work?" from devolpers

[adrynalyne]

i know its not googles fault. I was mearly piont out the end possible result with many versions for devolopers to account for. Problems like this can't but not happen.

 

facts only for the people who hate apple which wouldn't be facts at all and only slanted opinions. I have seen no speed difference in many 3gs models going from IOS 4 to 5 to the latest 6. Also, I have seen no speed difference in iphones 4's, 4s's, 5's going from version 5 up to IOS 7... when he stated "cripple" that means something is not operating as intended. If a 3 gs (or even a 4) doesn't have Siri, then it isn't exactly "crippled" if Siri is left out of the update when going to  a newer OS since it didn't have it to begin with. A minus is only a minus if something is taken away.

I find you saying that you saw no speed difference going to iOS7 with a 4 a bit disingenuous.

 

 

It might not be a documented fact, but it is plastered all over the Internet about how iOS7  slows an iPhone4 way down.  I have personally seen it myself.

[adrynalyne]

actually i 100% agree, but having said that, it is STILL the very definition of fragmentation... less versions = less possible conflicts = less worry from "does it work?" from devolpers

Android was destined to become fragmented.

 

If it wasn't the OS, it would be the hardware that would fragment it.

[Rippleman]

I find you saying that you saw no speed difference going to iOS7 with a 4 a bit disingenuous.

 

 

It might not be a documented fact, but it is plastered all over the Internet about how iOS7  slows an iPhone4 way down.  I have personally seen it myself.

I do imagine it could slow down without a fresh reset. I did see the battery drain issue though. But again, with a reset, no drain. Althoght this may seem like back peddling, its is only the fact that one should always "reset" their phone after a new OS anyways. Should you have to? no, but it is what it is.

[Noir Angel]

actually i 100% agree, but having said that, it is STILL the very definition of fragmentation... less versions = less possible conflicts = less worry from "does it work?" from devolpers

 

There's an update to Android about one every 6 months, no more rapid than the release cycles for a lot of other software these days. The only alternative is to not release product updates and let your OS get stale and irrelevant.

 

Google should be commended for their approach, Android gets better and better with each new version, and the choice in devices is great for consumers. From what I've seen app crashes and problems are no more frequent than on any other mobile OS, this problem is simply overblown.

[Kreuger]

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.

 

For a while, it was hard for me to find Kijiji at all but not because there was no device support. It was because there was no official app.

[FloatingFatMan]

I find you saying that you saw no speed difference going to iOS7 with a 4 a bit disingenuous.

 

 

It might not be a documented fact, but it is plastered all over the Internet about how iOS7  slows an iPhone4 way down.  I have personally seen it myself.

 

I wouldn't. I'd call it what it is, a large pile of something not very true. :p

[Skiver Veteran]

i know its not googles fault. I was mearly piont out the end possible result with many versions for devolopers to account for. Problems like this can't but not happen.

 

facts only for the people who hate apple which wouldn't be facts at all and only slanted opinions. I have seen no speed difference in many 3gs models going from IOS 4 to 5 to the latest 6. Also, I have seen no speed difference in iphones 4's, 4s's, 5's going from version 5 up to IOS 7... when he stated "cripple" that means something is not operating as intended. If a 3 gs (or even a 4) doesn't have Siri, then it isn't exactly "crippled" if Siri is left out of the update when going to  a newer OS since it didn't have it to begin with. A minus is only a minus if something is taken away.

Sorry I wasn't trying to imply you were, just quoting you as you answered me. 

[y2k2r2d2]

Fragmentation is a necessary evil unless people change their electronics every  another month.

[Rippleman]

For a while, it was hard for me to find Kijiji at all but not because there was no device support. It was because there was no official app.

its in directly in both the IOS store and Android store and would come up instantly as soon as you type it in and they are official. Curiosity makes me want to ask how do you usually search for apps?

 

link: http://info.kijiji.ca/android/

[Kreuger]

 

its in directly in both the IOS store and Android store and would come up instantly as soon as you type it in and they are official. Curiosity makes me want to ask how do you usually search for apps?

It is there now, yes. Or maybe it always has been and didn't show up because my device was unsupported? I dunno. That was last year though.

[tsupersonic]

I do imagine it could slow down without a fresh reset. I did see the battery drain issue though. But again, with a reset, no drain. Althoght this may seem like back peddling, its is only the fact that one should always "reset" their phone after a new OS anyways. Should you have to? no, but it is what it is.

That's quite sad. I know a lot of people at iPhone 4's at work, who couldn't bear the slowness after iOS7. They were all due for contract renewal, so they just upgraded to a newer iphone. I know one coworker reset the device after the upgrade, and it was still plagued with so many issues. The fact that it got the latest updates is great, but a lot of the features are left out in iOS - so pick your poison. I would rather have a device that is stable, fast, and on an older version rather than an old device getting the "latest" updates with lots of missing functionality, slowness, battery issues, etc.

 

Plus, with Android power users, you can root and install ROM's on your phone. It shouldn't have to come to that, but it is an option to stay up to date, or you could install ROM's for drastically different reasons.  

[Athlonite]

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'.

 

 

VLC player until they updated it to work on 4.3 but now it doesn't work right on 4.4 I get lock ups and CTDs when trying to play simple MP4 videos on my Nexus 7 2012 (which in now on 4.4.2)