Android Fragmentation a Myth, Says Google

Google has dismissed Android 'fragmentation' as being a figment of people's imagination.

Dan Morrill, open source and compatibility program manager for Google Android, called fragmentation a myth created by the media and tech experts, in a report by eWeek.

Writing on the Android Developers blog, Morrill joked that fragmentation was a scary night-time story told to frighten junior developers, and that people writing about the supposed fragmentation have different definitions for the term.

According to one definition the openness of the Android platform means that distorted versions of the OS appear.

The term 'fragmentation' has also been used to refer to optional APIs causing inconsistencies in platform implementations.

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“Because it means everything, it actually means nothing, so the term is useless," said Morrill. "Stories on 'fragmentation' are dramatic and they drive traffic to pundits’ blogs, but they have little to do with reality.”