It's hardly a secret that there are more Android devices being released all the time than most people can count, but even those with a vague sense of seemingly endless range of phones and tablets may be surprised to learn just how many distinct devices are out there. According to a new report form wireless research firm OpenSignal, that number now stands at a whopping 24,093 devices from some 1,294 different device brands.
As the company notes, that's up from 18,796 distinct devices last year, and 11,868 in 2013 -- or more than a doubling in just two years. The growth in the number of brands (not manufacturers, who make devices for multiple brands) has also been dramatic, with the firm recording more than 1,000 this year that were not seen in its first report in 2012.
Not surprisingly, Samsung accounted for the biggest chunk of that market with a 37.8% share (down from 43% last year), while a number of other noticeable trends are borne out in the reports numbers. Screen sizes are continuing to get bigger with no sign of slowing down just yet, and the Android operating system itself is still significantly fragmented when it comes to having the latest version installed on devices. KitKit remains the most widely installed at 39.3%, while the latest version of Lollipop stands at just 2.9%).
Those curious can find plenty more numbers and charts to dive into in the full fragmentation report.
[via PCMag]
