Helpful Chart Guides You Through Android Fragmentation

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Confused by your Android phone? Don’t know why your friends with the HTC Incredible can run the apps your T-Mobile G1 can’t? The folks at Android Tapp have just come out with a handy chart to help you figure your way through Android’s three most popular versions.

As we’ve discussed previously here, fragmentation is probably the biggest problem facing the great Android platform today. Newer versions of the OS add more and more features, but some older Android phones can’t run them because of hardware constraints (unless you hack them onto the phone with a custom ROM, usually at the expense of some features).

A recent report by AndroidCentral showed that Android Fragmentation is pretty evenly split between the three most popular versions, with each (1.5, 1.6 and 2.1) each having about one-third of the Android market share these days. As you’d expect, Android 2.1 is slowly gaining marketshare.

Another interesting bit here on Android Tapp’s chart is how many manufacturers are coming out with Android phones. HTC has made the most, at 11. Motorola has made 5, Samsung has made 3 and Sony Ericsson came out with just the one, Xperia X10.

Thankfully, for Android users, Google has said numerous times that the next version of Android, 2.2 “Froyo”, will be the version to end all fragmentation.

Now, for your pleasure, here’s the chart.

Courtesy of www.androidtapp.com