#opensignalmaps

The politics of SSIDs using OpenSignalMaps

Fragmentation is the future. You better stop complaining...

These are the 3,997 different Android devices that OpenSignalMaps users experienced the app with.

App designers want to create an ideal experience for every user. But how on earth can anyone design for 4,000 distinct devices, including obscure Hungarian tablets?

Via Gizmodo UK, some data on Android fragmentation from Open Signal Maps. The post presents a lot more data on API version, screen resolution, and other interesting metrics. It was based on 681,900 devices that downloaded the client software -- not an unreasonable survey size.

It looks pretty bad (and I'm sure that's the angle most reporting of this story will take, particularly from Apple bloggers), but there's an upside, OSM says:

Developers tend to bemoan Android fragmentation yet there's much here to be celebrated.

We've collected signal data from 195 countries - the variety of Android devices and manufacturers has been crucial in allowing the OS to reach so many markets. For example the 5 countries where OSM gets most use are: US, Brazil, China, Russia, Mexico. From what we're seeing the developing world is no longer developing but leading Europe.

While the number of different models running Android will continue to increase we've seen Samsung take the lion's share of the Android market, most of that due to the Galaxy product line. Testing on the most popular Samsung & HTC devices will get you a long way.

In particular, I think this part is noteworthy:

With many devices under $100 unsubsidized, Android phones and tablets are able to reach a market that can't afford netbooks. For the majority of the world's population smartphones (and not computers) will be the must-have devices. We hope that OpenSignalMaps will be a must-have app.

I think that price point -- and the advantages it gives OEMs in the developing world -- is under-discussed. It's impossible to get a contract-free iPhone in the UK for anything less than £319 ($510), and that's the old-as-the-hills 3GS. You can buy three or four Android handsets of similar spec for the same money.

Very interesting to look at this chart. Give some insights on how to deal with Android fragmented development.