Image courtesy

One of the main strengths of the Android mobile operating system is the diverse options users can choose from. From the out-of-this-world gigantic flagship phones and tablets to the tinier entry-level devices, there’s an Android phone for practically anyone who wants it. However, this kind of diversity poses a considerable challenge for designers and developers who want to bring the best possible design and user experience for the users.

Fragmentation

You can look at diversity in another way, and that’s called fragmentation. Basically, with all the different models from several manufacturers, there are simply too many variations in terms of screen size, overall screen resolution, and even pixel density counts. That said, it’s easy to see how difficult it is to design apps that look good or at least would look the way the developers or designers intended.

While resolution isn’t really such a big factor, especially with how the Android platform itself helps compensate for the scaling, pixel density is the main consideration many developers have with the design of the app GUIs.

User Base

In many ways, this fragmentation can also affect the distribution considerations for certain apps. This is the reason why so many apps are not available for new devices initially, or why certain apps are simply not compatible with particular devices of unsupported resolutions.

If one app is already limited by the distribution, then the potential user base also becomes limited. This is just unacceptable for productivity apps like all the office suite variants or mobile versions of paid services like RingCentral or Netflix, among others. A limited user base is like an asterisk to what the service promised, so the apps have to be designed and developed to fit practically any mobile device without affecting usability or functionality.

Legacy Considerations

With the introduction of Ice Cream Sandwich, Android users were treated to a re-imagining of the basic aesthetic of the OS. Many apps were rendered unusable for a while, although developers were able to bring updates in no time at all. Moving forward, clearly, is not a problem—the problem is what happens to models that won’t ever get the new OS updates. Developers will make an effort to make their apps fit the style and the aesthetic of new Android versions, but that will certainly impact users of lower-end models that are usually forgotten by manufacturers when it comes to supplying the necessary OS updates.

Diversity is a great thing—especially for Android, which counts on the diversity of its offerings to help it fend off those iOS-powered iPhones that are essentially the same as each other. Still, there are some drawbacks to this approach, and it’s the designers and developers that have to deal with some of the challenges. If you’re planning on designing or developing applications for the Android operating system, make sure you’re committed to making your apps work even despite what we’ve outlined in the paragraphs above. Of course, the platform is robust and smart enough to offer some useful tips and tricks that make scaling and optimizing apps easier, so it would be wise to learn these as well.


Author Bio:
Monique Jones is an Engineer who deals with telephone systems. Monique graduated as a Cum Laude with a Degree in Civil and Communications Engineering. Besides being an Engineer, she also works as a part time Writer. She helps her colleagues and other people about their communication issues, giving effective solutions to address their needs. On her free time, she works on her fashion business, read books, and chat with friends. She also loves traveling and photography.