The iOS 11 adoption rate is currently at 76 percent, while that of Android Oreo is still below 5 percent, showcasing one of the most significant differences between the mobile operating systems of Apple and Google.
While the iOS has also experienced it to some extent, fragmentation has always been one of the biggest Android issues. Here's why the problem has affected Google very badly, compared to Apple.
iOS 11, Android Oreo Adoption Rates
According to the Apple Developer website, 76 percent of all iOS devices have upgraded to iOS 11 after taking just under two months for the latest version of the mobile operating system to pass 50 percent.
The iOS 11 adoption rate has actually been slow for Apple's standards, which has been attributed to the many issues with the mobile operating system when it was launched seven months ago in September 2017. There has also been a slight slowdown in the growth of iOS 11 installations, but this is likely because of the declining number of iOS devices that may roll up to the latest version.
The Android Oreo adoption rate, however, paints a different picture. According to the Android Developer website, the combined installations for Android 8.0 Oreo and Android 8.1 Oreo is only at 4.6 percent, eight months after the mobile operating system was released to the public in August 2017.
In comparison, the total Android 7.0 Nougat and Android 7.1 Nougat installations stand at 30.8 percent, while Android 6.0 Marshmallow installations stand at 26. percent. Android Jelly Bean, released six years ago, still has a 4.5 percent installation rate, about the same as Android Oreo.
Explaining The Android Fragmentation Problem
The fragmentation problem refers to how there are different versions of certain software in the wild, as users have not upgraded to the latest build. The issue is also found among iOS devices users, but the problem is far worse among Android device users.
Apple does not have a severe fragmentation problem because it controls when and how iOS updates are rolled out. The upgrades are also sent directly to the customers, so most iOS devices users simply wait for a notification on their iPhone or iPad.
Things for Android are different, though. In addition to rolling out Android software updates to its own devices, Google also sends the upgrades to the different third-party smartphone manufacturers, each then coming up with their own take on Android. Unfortunately, in some cases, the Android updates are even being skipped.
