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Google’s solution to Android fragmentation – break it into little pieces

Froyo and Gingerbread to kick process off

Google’s solution to Android fragmentation – break it into little pieces
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We love Android here on Pocket Gamer. From the chunky, plasticy but oh-so-usable G1 right up to the swanky state-of-the-art Nexus One (one of which a certain PG member managed to lose at a US airport recently), the unifying factor is the tasty Google mobile OS.

Where it falls down, though, is in one major area where things need to be a whole lot more unified. The number of Android OS versions (four and counting) that have been released in such a small period of time have left the Android landscape a fragmented mess for app developers.

In order to help such developers - not to mention the poor handset manufacturers, who face an uphill task to keep their Android handsets (which often feature custom user interfaces) up to date - Google has reportedly decided to break its OS up into separate sections, and allow users to update each component individually.

To illustrate how this might work, you need only look as far as Google Maps on Android. The increasingly indispensable navigation aid has seen a number of updates that have been downloadable through Android Market.

Now imagine doing the same for every Android component and app, rather than having to wait months for your handset manufacturer to release one all-encompassing update.

According to Engadget, this segmented update process will begin with the next two Android versions, which have already been supplied their own tasty code names - Froyo and Gingerbread.

It’s believed that Froyo will mark a drastic slowing down of Google’s update process, as the core of the Android OS will have reached a suitably mature state.

Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.