It's been a while since Google will announce Android Lollipop officially and, the truth is, that with this new version the panorama of the use of the distributions of the operating system of those from Mountain View has not changed much. We say this because poor implementation of the new development.
According to the data that have been officially published in its first stages, Jelly Bean and KitKat They firmly control users' Android devices, and it seems this isn't going to change anytime soon. We say this because Lollipop doesn't even appear on the list provided, and therefore its market share is below 0,1%. Poco, very little.
And despite the fact that some manufacturers have announced the deployment of updates with Android 5.0 for some of their models (generally the most powerful), the truth is that the percentage It doesn't look like it's going to get over it 5 or 10% in the medium term. Therefore, implementation is proceeding more slowly than expected. In other words, companies using Google's operating system aren't keeping pace, and this should give the Mountain View company pause.
The reasons for this to occur
The first and most important is that manufacturers, as they use custom interfaces, they are not in such a hurry when it comes to implementing the new Android versions. This is because development time is longer (and testing time when everything works), and delays are usually common.
In addition, companies, unlike Google, tend to have many phones and tablets on the market, so they have to work with different combinations of hardware and, by extension, drivers running at the same time. This also generates delay, as is logical to think.
Added to this is the dependence on the chipset suppliers (BSPs and drivers). If the SoC manufacturer takes too long to release a stable package, the OEM delays the schedule. Each layer (graphics, connectivity, cameras) adds complexity that must be stabilized to avoid regressions performance or battery.
The marketing process includesseveral phases that are reflected below: certification With operators, regional compatibility and regulatory compliance also weigh: network tests, languages, local services and pre-installed apps require additional validations. In markets with a strong operator presence, carrier approval can affect the launch window.
Finally, the cost of QA and support makes many OEMs prioritize the high end and bestsellers. Consolidating automated testing, rolling OTAs, and post-launch feedback is key, but it requires resources. Lollipop, with its profound changes (ART, Material Design, and reinforced SELinux), meant more adaptation time for system layers and apps.
- Layers of customization extend development and validation cycles.
- Hardware diversity and drivers multiply combinations to try.
- SoC and operators add dependencies and certifications.
- Commercial priority premium models accelerate for some and slow down for others.
In parallel, deployment measurement relies on analytics. Just as video services use necessary cookies and measurement cookies to understand how your products are used and, if the user allows it, also advertising cookies third parties, the mobile ecosystem relies on telemetry and controlled experimentation to fine-tune the updates in waves, improving stability and reducing incidents. Transparency and control of user preferences are essential.
The fact is that the sum of these and other conditions make that manufacturers do not keep pace with Google in terms of updates and, therefore, the Mountain View company must slow down at some point since it may be the case that, if things continue like this, only a small part of the population will enjoy an Android version before a new one arrives. And this would give a image really bad operating system and everything around it.
To cushion the impact, Google has gone modularizing components: critical services, WebView, security and parts of the system are updated through Play, so that even without upgrading to a major version, they arrive improvements and patches. This approach reduces the friction of fragmentation and accelerates the arrival of key features.
Fragmentation, is it a problem?
Well, at first you might think so, but over time it has been shown that Android and those who use it on their terminals (both manufacturers and users) they don't have serious problems when it comes to using the phone or tablet and the corresponding applications. However, there is the feeling that it is they lose things -which is also true due to the new features that exist in each new version of the operating system-.
The point is that it seems that Google has learned to live with the fragmentation of its operating system (something logical since it does not have control of the phones that are launched, like Apple), but the truth is that it should rethink its way of acting since manufacturers do not keep up with it and, from what it seems, this is not going to change in no time - and besides, they don't really seem to care much except in the high-end product-.
From the development side, compatibility libraries, support APIs and development targets minimum API allow apps to run across wide version ranges. Teams test on real-world matrices and in the cloud, and the telemetry guides decisions to maintain performance and stability on very different devices.
In security, the patches They arrive independently of the major version and Play Protect adds a layer of defense. So, even if the user doesn't immediately receive the latest iteration of Android, they still get critical improvements and mitigations that raise the protection threshold.
As a cultural metaphor, the film «Old» by M. Night Shyamalan illustrates well the psychological factor of time: It's not terror as such, but rather a concern about aging and losing control. Its agile pace, the remarkable work of location and production, and a solid cast (some dialogue can be perceived as muffled at times) remind us that even when something gets "old," it can still offer a experience Valuable. The Android ecosystem coexists with this duality: the new coexists with the old without invalidating its usefulness, and the overall rating, if well balanced, deserves a notable.
It is also appropriate to clarify the semantic nuance of old In technology: a device is not the same old (antique) that spent (worn), lifelong (long-standing) or previous (former). An "old" terminal can be familiar and reliable, an "old" software can be mature and stable, and old usage habits may persist. Identifying what type of "old" we have in front of us helps us decide whether to update, maintain, or replace.
Source: Android Developers.
Looking at the whole picture, the adoption of lollipop It started with a modest share, the causes are structural (layers, hardware, certifications, and priorities), and fragmentation is managed with modularity and reinforced security. The clock is ticking, yes, but there are mechanisms to ensure that "old" doesn't become synonymous with obsolete.