Fragmentation means nearly half of Android users won't get Facebook Home

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
The "openness" of Google's Android platform may have made Facebook's new Home experience possible, but the fragmented nature of the Android market means that nearly half of all Android users will be unable to run its new Home feature.

the crew
Facebook Home will initially be available for six phones.


Facebook Home will not run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread or lower, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed today in a question-and-answer session following Home's unveiling. Initially released in February of 2011, Gingerbread is still the Android version for roughly 40 percent of the Android install base, according to Google's most recent figures. Roughly seven percent of Android devices run an older version of the OS.

The more than 50 percent of Android devices running either version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or versions 4.1 and 4.2 Jelly Bean will, presumably, be able to run Facebook Home, though likely not until some time after launch. Zuckerberg pointed out both during and after the Home presentation that the launcher will be reserved to six devices initially: the HTC One and One X, Samsung's Galaxy S III, S4, and Note II, and the just revealed HTC First, which is said to be optimized for the Facebook Home experience.

Further, the launcher will not be available for Android tablets until some time after launch. Facebook has said that it is working on Home for tablets.

yeah
Android version distribution, via Google.


Whereas Apple controls both the hardware and software underlying its iOS devices ? and thus has a much smaller set of configurations to develop for ? Google makes Android available to a wide array of manufacturers. Some of these manufacturers are diligent in updating their devices to recent versions of Android, but a large number aren't. Due to either technical limitations or fiscal infeasibility, hundreds of millions of Android devices are running a now two-years-outdated version of the operating system.

This fragmentation among the Android install base has proved a significant problem for developers, as they must program their apps not only to account for a vast array of hardware configurations, but also to account for 40 percent of their potential audience using a two-year-old OS. Google has been taking steps to address the fragmentation issue, trying to encourage manufacturers to update their devices, but even Google-owned Motorola has had to abandon update schedules for some handsets due to financial and development realities.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 71
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member


    Hilarious.image

  • Reply 2 of 71
    jazzgurujazzguru Posts: 6,435member
    I tolerate Facebook because some family/friends don't want to venture out and try other social networking platforms. I see no reason to use "Home", so I can't say I'm devastated that Facebook's glorified bloatware won't run on my Galaxy Nexus right away.
  • Reply 3 of 71
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member


    Zuckerberg unclear on iOS Facebook Home, says Android's openness allows unique experiences


     


     


     


     


     


    LOL


     


    Yes, a "unique" experience indeed. 

  • Reply 4 of 71
    macrulezmacrulez Posts: 2,455member


    deleted

  • Reply 5 of 71
    cdong4cdong4 Posts: 194member
    This article is a little bit silly and skewed. Facebook is right in not developing for older versions of Android, just like developers now do not support iOS 4 and lower. The real issue is the device carriers being able to control the releases of newer versions of Android keeping people from having more modern software on their phones, not that there are different versions of the Android OS.
  • Reply 6 of 71
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    Welcome to the all impressive Open Source world Everyone things is the next best thing to slide bread,
  • Reply 7 of 71
    jazzgurujazzguru Posts: 6,435member
    macrulez wrote: »
    100% of iOS won't get FB Home either.

    How does this Android news affect Apple?

    Maybe I typed the wrong URL - is this AndroidInsider?

    Android is a competitor with iOS, is it not?
  • Reply 8 of 71
    mikeb85mikeb85 Posts: 506member


    I doubt most of those users care...

  • Reply 9 of 71
    gwjvangwjvan Posts: 21member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jazzguru View Post





    Android is a competitor with iOS, is it not?


     


    The thing is, I don't see how this article can be logically interpreted as anything but positive for Android and negative for iOS. 100% of iOS cannot run this software, and a large percentage of Android user base can run it due to Android's openness. (I don't know anything about FaceBook's "Home", other than what is said/implied in the above article. Edit: Therefore maybe some iOS version is in the works, I don't know).

  • Reply 10 of 71
    kr00kr00 Posts: 99member
    macrulez wrote: »
    100% of iOS won't get FB Home either.

    How does this Android news affect Apple?

    Maybe I typed the wrong URL - is this AndroidInsider?

    Hey, nobody's holding a gun to your head. Why click on a link to a story you clearly aren't happy about. Then again, why even comment? Oh, that's right, you're one of those. I think they're called trolls?
  • Reply 11 of 71
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    macrulez wrote: »
    100% of iOS won't get FB Home either.

    How does this Android news affect Apple?

    Maybe I typed the wrong URL - is this AndroidInsider?

    You're right. Go somewhere else and don't come back.
  • Reply 12 of 71

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jazzguru View Post



    I tolerate Facebook because some family/friends don't want to venture out and try other social networking platforms. I see no reason to use "Home", so I can't say I'm devastated that Facebook's glorified bloatware won't run on my Galaxy Nexus right away.


     


    It is horrible that Facebook Home cannot run on the Galaxy Nexus!  This is the perfect reason for you to switch back to the iPhone!  ;-)

  • Reply 13 of 71
    macrulezmacrulez Posts: 2,455member


    deleted

  • Reply 14 of 71
    kdarlingkdarling Posts: 1,640member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MacRulez View Post


    100% of iOS won't get FB Home either.



     


    It's like the way that 45% of all iPhones ever sold can't use Siri.


     


    Which is worse, millions who cannot use Siri, or millions who cannot use Facebook Home?


     


    Neither seems like a huge tragedy.

  • Reply 15 of 71
    superbasssuperbass Posts: 688member
    Is "fragmentation" also the reason my iPhone 4 can't run Siri?

    There are also a number of of apps/features that work on my phone that don't work on an iPhone 3.
  • Reply 16 of 71
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    ``Zuckerberg unclear on iOS Facebook Home...''

    Translated: There is no way in Hell Apple is giving us access to the top level of their UI for the iOS System.
  • Reply 17 of 71
    jazzgurujazzguru Posts: 6,435member
    It is horrible that Facebook Home cannot run on the Galaxy Nexus!  This is the perfect reason for you to switch back to the iPhone!  ;-)

    iPhone was my first choice, but my unlocked Galaxy Nexus was $300 cheaper than an unlocked iPhone at the time, and that $300 went towards more important things.

    I haven't ruled out an iPhone purchase in the future. :)
  • Reply 18 of 71

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post



    ``Zuckerberg unclear on iOS Facebook Home...''



    Translated: There is no way in Hell Apple is giving us access to the top level of their UI for the iOS System.


    Who the hell would want this abortion anyway?  Do people really want Facebook to have access to all of their phone's information?

  • Reply 19 of 71
    jazzgurujazzguru Posts: 6,435member
    macrulez wrote: »
    True, but a FaceBook widget is just a widget.

    Do you expect AppleInsider to run stories on every Android widget that gets released?

    I agree "Home" is a glorified bloatware widget, but considering Facebook has over 1 billion monthly active users, ANY feature or service that draws more of those users to a certain platform is probably newsworthy.
  • Reply 20 of 71
    macrulezmacrulez Posts: 2,455member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Kr00 View Post





    Hey, nobody's holding a gun to your head. Why click on a link to a story you clearly aren't happy about.


    Did I say I wasn't amused?  On the contrary, this site reliably delivers good entertainment.


     


    Quote:


    Then again, why even comment? Oh, that's right, you're one of those. I think they're called trolls?



    Perhaps we can learn your example of what constitutes excellence in the AI forums:


     


    Samescum


    douchebag


    fandroid


    troglodyte


    evil


    STFU


     


    And that's just a handful of your recent posts.


     


    But as you say, who are you to judge what a troll is?


     


    Try getting outside once in a while.  The fresh air will do wonders for your disposition.

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