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The Android platform has been developing at an almost dizzying pace lately. The number of new releases in a short period of time has lead many to warn that fragmentation has become a serious danger to Android. Google's Android team has responded saying that the Android fragmentation is a myth. Is fragmentation of Android a myth or is it something that should concern Android developers?

Fragmentation has affected Linux and other open source systems in the past. It occurs when a system has multiple versions with very different components. For example, Linux distributions have their own file system arrangements, different window managers and different packaging systems. This makes it difficult for application developers to create applications for Linux on the expectation that certain components will exist or be in the same location.

Causes of Fragmentation
Android has suffered from some of the classic causes of fragmentation. First, there are wide differences in the capabilities of the hardware devices on which Android runs. While in many systems, this could easily lead to severe fragmentation, Android has not been as affected by this. Android is, however, being very rapidly developed. Each new version of Android has added capabilities. Handsets on the market are running as many as five different versions of the Android operating system. This is where the greatest danger of fragmentation lies. Finally, different manufacturers have been dressing up Android with various add-ons and custom user interfaces. These variations in how Android looks and feels can also lead to fragmentation.

Google has responded to the many reports of Android fragmentation by calling it a "myth". They have put in place some systems and a plan that should help address the issue of fragmentation. Google is so sure of these plans that they believe fragmentation does not exist.

Fragmentation Prevention
One approach that Google is taking to prevent fragmentation is slowing down the development of Android. The rapid development allowed Google to add new functionality to Android and reach a level of maturity that makes Android competitive with other smartphone platforms. Now that Android is fully featured, the development can slow back down.

Along with slowing down the development of Android, Google has developed a plan to make Android more modular. This will allow users of Android based systems to update individual components of the Android system even if their carrier has not moved to a newer version of Android. For example, if a new version of Gmail is released, users can decide to upgrade Gmail on their phones. This modularity is being applied to various systems including items like the keyboard.

Another approach that Google has taken to try and prevent fragmentation of Android is to adopt a series of standards that must be followed to gain access to the Android market. These standards define minimal functionality that a handset must have in order for the carrier to ship the Android market with the phone. By controlling the market, Google has ensured that these standards will be adhered to. These standards generally deal with hardware and include things like every Android handset must have a camera. By using these standards, Google can assure developers that certain functionality will always be available on an Android phone.

Intents are another type of standard that Google uses to avoid functionality. An intent is a type of interface that Android uses. For example, an application that sends email will use an intent to launch a an email composition window. By using intents, it is possible to replace the default email client with another application and still have the expected behavior from other applications that write email.

Custom User Interfaces
While these systems certainly seem to help reduce the risk of fragmentation, calling it a myth seems to be a bit bold on Google's part. The biggest source of potential fragmentation seems to be custom user interfaces being applied to Android by various phone makers. It is not uncommon to see updates to applications in the Android market geared towards fixing a bug with a manufacturer's custom UI. Of course, using anecdotal evidence from the Android market to determine if custom user interfaces are fragmenting Android is not a very solid approach. It seems reasonable, however, that heavy customization of how Android looks and feels will fragment the platform.

This threat goes beyond just creating problems for developers. End users will not be able to pick up any Android handset and expect it to work in the same way. Various custom Androids start to present a learning curve for the end users which may reduce the uptake of Android.

Google says that fragmentation of Android is a myth based on the systems that they have in place to combat fragmentation. However, it does appear from browsing the market that developers are struggling somewhat with supporting the various versions of Android, the different handsets and especially the many custom user interfaces. Is fragmentation really a myth? Post a comment with your thoughts, especially if you are developing for Android and have encountered compatibility issues with a custom user interface.

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