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I work with app that has about 100k installs across Android and iOS. Android stats show we gave 375 different combos of device and OS versions. iOS has 75 whic

I work with app that has about 100k installs across Android and iOS. Android stats show we gave 375 different combos of device and OS versions. iOS has 75 which is pretty high for a platform with a supposedly unfragmented platform.

objclxt 15y ago
...75 device combinations with identical aspect ratios, and very similar hardware. Think about the difference between a Sony X10 Mini (320x240 display) and a Galaxy Nexus (1280x720 display): that sort of drastic hardware/software differentiation isn't there on iOS. Writing an app that works well on both is no easy challenge.
- natesm 15y ago
  I'm not sure why this was downvoted. It's entirely true. Think about button sizes. The iOS UI widgets are a specific physical size, optimized for the average human hand, which is then translated into pixels. Because all iOS devices have the exact same "pixel dimensions" (sure, there are four times as many now, but that doesn't matter much), supporting this is not a problem. The distance that the user will have to reach for a button and the dimensions of said button are physically identical on every single iPhone and iPod touch. Android devices are many different sizes and shapes, so this sort of consistency is practically impossible (although I'd be really impressed if someone pulled it off, surely there's a way to get physical device dimensions in the Android SDK?).
  - king_jester 15y ago
    > Android devices are many different sizes and shapes, so this sort of consistency is practically impossible (although I'd be really impressed if someone pulled it off, surely there's a way to get physical device dimensions in the Android SDK?) If you are interested in how this for Android, the android design sign on metrics has a good overview, particularly the section on 48dp rhythm: http://developer.android.com/design/style/metrics-grids.html http://developer.android.com/design/style/metrics-grids.html
  - rogerbinns 15y ago
    > Android devices are many different sizes and shapes, so this sort of consistency is practically impossible Instead of incorrect speculation, here are some facts: https://plus.google.com/105051985738280261832/posts/AzwMc3pSDUU https://plus.google.com/105051985738280261832/posts/AzwMc3pS... > surely there's a way to get physical device dimensions in the Android SDK Since Android 1.0. You get the x and y dpi which can then be multiplied by screen resolution. http://developer.android.com/reference/android/util/DisplayMetrics.html http://developer.android.com/reference/android/util/DisplayM... http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/Display.html http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/Display....
- Rabidgremlin 15y ago
  You'd think BUT... * SDK calls on different OS/hardware combos behave differently * Different resolutions mean having to support different image assets etc (same as Android) * SDK doesn't have built in support for fluid layouts or as good (but complicated) asset support as Android has * New high resolution/different aspect ratio iOS devices are just around the corner TL;DR iOS "fragmentation problem" exists and is likely to grow. Android SDK has ground up (but complex) features to tackle this problem
  - masklinn 15y ago
    > * Different resolutions mean having to support different image assets etc (same as Android) Far's I know, it only requires having different image asserts (@2x, and even that is optional), what's the etc? > * SDK doesn't have built in support for fluid layouts or as good (but complicated) asset support as Android has On the other hand, the need is nowhere as dire as on Android given all devices have the same aspect ratio, and there are only two physical sizes (for two well-defined classes of devices) > * New high resolution/different aspect ratio iOS devices are just around the corner There's pretty much no way iOS devices with different aspect ratios will be released (or they'll be a completely different line e.g. AppleTV which will not run iPhone/iPad applications).
    - Rabidgremlin 15y ago
      iPads have different ratio to iPhones/iPod right ? New iPad 3 is rumoured to have Retina display... Totally agree that iOS did not need complexity of the Android SDK due to consistency in Apple product line up but I think they may have dug a bit of a hole for themselves if they want to shake things up in the future.
      - masklinn 15y ago
        > iPads have different ratio to iPhones/iPod right ? Ah yes, 3/2 versus 4/3. > New iPad 3 is rumoured to have Retina display... Yes, but it will very likely keep the 4/3 aspect ratio, and like the iPhone will scale "non-retina" images automatically.
masklinn 15y ago
> iOS has 75 which How do you figure that? I find under 60 combinations of OS release and devices total since the AppStore was released: * 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 for iPhone, 3G, Touch 1G and 2G (12) * 3.0 and 3.1 for gens 1-3 of each (12) * 3.2 for iPad (1) * 4.0, 4.1 for gens 2-4 of iPhone and Touch (12) * 4.2 for iPad and gens 2-4 (7) * 4.3 for iPhone 3GS and 4, Touch G3 and G4 and iPad 1 and 2 (6) * 5.0 for all above + iPhone 4S (7) For a total of 57 combinations of devices and OS. As a theoretical maximum (I don't think finding active 2G devices on iPhoneOS 2.0 is very likely). How did you get to 75?
- Rabidgremlin 15y ago
  All those pesky point versions: iPhone 4/5.0.1 iPhone 4S/5.0.1 iPhone 3GS/5.0.1 iPad 2G/5.0.1 iPhone 4/4.3.5 iPhone 4/4.3.3 iPod touch 4G/5.0.1 iPhone 3G/4.2.1 iPhone 3GS/4.3.5 iPhone 4/4.3 iPhone 4/5.0 iPhone 4/4.2.1 iPhone 4/4.3.1 iPad 1G/5.0.1 iPhone 3GS/4.3.3 iPhone 4/4.1 iPhone 4/4.3.2 iPhone 3GS/4.2.1 iPad 2G/4.3.5 iPod touch 2G/4.2.1 iPhone 3GS/4.1 iPod touch 3G/5.0.1 iPhone 4S/5.0 iPad 2G/4.3.3 iPhone 4/4.3.4 iPhone 3GS/5.0 iPhone 3GS/4.0 iPhone 4/4.0.2 iPhone 3GS/4.0.1 iPad 2G/5.0 iPhone 3GS/4.3.2 iPhone 3GS/4.3.1 iPhone 3GS/4.3.4 iPod touch 4G/4.3.2 iPad 1G/4.2.1 iPod touch 4G/4.3.5 iPad 1G/4.3.5 iPhone 3GS/4.3 iPhone 3G/4.1 iPad 1G/4.3.3 iPhone 3GS/4.0.2 iPod touch 3G/4.3.5 iPod touch 4G/4.2.1 iPhone 4/5.1 iPod touch 4G/4.3.3 iPhone 4/4.2.10 iPhone 4S/5.1 iPod touch 4G/4.1 iPod touch 3G/4.2.1 iPad 1G/4.3.1 iPad 2G/4.3.1 iPod touch 3G/4.3.2 iPad 2G/4.3.2 iPod touch 4G/4.3.4 iPad 1G/4.3 iPhone 3G/4.0.1 iPhone 4/4.0.1 iPod touch 3G/4.3.3 iPad 1G/4.3.2 iPad 1G/4.3.4 iPad 2G/4.3.4 iPod touch 2G/4.1 iPod touch 4G/5.0 iPod touch 3G/4.3.1 iPhone 4G/5.0.1 iPhone 3G/4.0 iPad 1G/5.0 iPad 2G/4.3 iPod touch 3G/4.1 iPod touch 3G/4.3 iPod touch 4G/4.3.1 iPhone 3G/4.0.2 iPhone 4/4.0 iPod touch 3G/4.3.4 iPod touch 3G/5.0

objclxt 15y ago

...75 device combinations with identical aspect ratios, and very similar hardware. Think about the difference between a Sony X10 Mini (320x240 display) and a Galaxy Nexus (1280x720 display): that sort of drastic hardware/software differentiation isn't there on iOS. Writing an app that works well on both is no easy challenge.

natesm 15y ago
I'm not sure why this was downvoted. It's entirely true. Think about button sizes. The iOS UI widgets are a specific physical size, optimized for the average human hand, which is then translated into pixels. Because all iOS devices have the exact same "pixel dimensions" (sure, there are four times as many now, but that doesn't matter much), supporting this is not a problem. The distance that the user will have to reach for a button and the dimensions of said button are physically identical on every single iPhone and iPod touch. Android devices are many different sizes and shapes, so this sort of consistency is practically impossible (although I'd be really impressed if someone pulled it off, surely there's a way to get physical device dimensions in the Android SDK?).
- king_jester 15y ago
  > Android devices are many different sizes and shapes, so this sort of consistency is practically impossible (although I'd be really impressed if someone pulled it off, surely there's a way to get physical device dimensions in the Android SDK?) If you are interested in how this for Android, the android design sign on metrics has a good overview, particularly the section on 48dp rhythm: http://developer.android.com/design/style/metrics-grids.html http://developer.android.com/design/style/metrics-grids.html
- rogerbinns 15y ago
  > Android devices are many different sizes and shapes, so this sort of consistency is practically impossible Instead of incorrect speculation, here are some facts: https://plus.google.com/105051985738280261832/posts/AzwMc3pSDUU https://plus.google.com/105051985738280261832/posts/AzwMc3pS... > surely there's a way to get physical device dimensions in the Android SDK Since Android 1.0. You get the x and y dpi which can then be multiplied by screen resolution. http://developer.android.com/reference/android/util/DisplayMetrics.html http://developer.android.com/reference/android/util/DisplayM... http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/Display.html http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/Display....
Rabidgremlin 15y ago
You'd think BUT... * SDK calls on different OS/hardware combos behave differently * Different resolutions mean having to support different image assets etc (same as Android) * SDK doesn't have built in support for fluid layouts or as good (but complicated) asset support as Android has * New high resolution/different aspect ratio iOS devices are just around the corner TL;DR iOS "fragmentation problem" exists and is likely to grow. Android SDK has ground up (but complex) features to tackle this problem
- masklinn 15y ago
  > * Different resolutions mean having to support different image assets etc (same as Android) Far's I know, it only requires having different image asserts (@2x, and even that is optional), what's the etc? > * SDK doesn't have built in support for fluid layouts or as good (but complicated) asset support as Android has On the other hand, the need is nowhere as dire as on Android given all devices have the same aspect ratio, and there are only two physical sizes (for two well-defined classes of devices) > * New high resolution/different aspect ratio iOS devices are just around the corner There's pretty much no way iOS devices with different aspect ratios will be released (or they'll be a completely different line e.g. AppleTV which will not run iPhone/iPad applications).
  - Rabidgremlin 15y ago
    iPads have different ratio to iPhones/iPod right ? New iPad 3 is rumoured to have Retina display... Totally agree that iOS did not need complexity of the Android SDK due to consistency in Apple product line up but I think they may have dug a bit of a hole for themselves if they want to shake things up in the future.
    - masklinn 15y ago
      > iPads have different ratio to iPhones/iPod right ? Ah yes, 3/2 versus 4/3. > New iPad 3 is rumoured to have Retina display... Yes, but it will very likely keep the 4/3 aspect ratio, and like the iPhone will scale "non-retina" images automatically.

masklinn 15y ago

> iOS has 75 which How do you figure that? I find under 60 combinations of OS release and devices total since the AppStore was released: * 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 for iPhone, 3G, Touch 1G and 2G (12) * 3.0 and 3.1 for gens 1-3 of each (12) * 3.2 for iPad (1) * 4.0, 4.1 for gens 2-4 of iPhone and Touch (12) * 4.2 for iPad and gens 2-4 (7) * 4.3 for iPhone 3GS and 4, Touch G3 and G4 and iPad 1 and 2 (6) * 5.0 for all above + iPhone 4S (7) For a total of 57 combinations of devices and OS. As a theoretical maximum (I don't think finding active 2G devices on iPhoneOS 2.0 is very likely). How did you get to 75?

Rabidgremlin 15y ago
All those pesky point versions: iPhone 4/5.0.1 iPhone 4S/5.0.1 iPhone 3GS/5.0.1 iPad 2G/5.0.1 iPhone 4/4.3.5 iPhone 4/4.3.3 iPod touch 4G/5.0.1 iPhone 3G/4.2.1 iPhone 3GS/4.3.5 iPhone 4/4.3 iPhone 4/5.0 iPhone 4/4.2.1 iPhone 4/4.3.1 iPad 1G/5.0.1 iPhone 3GS/4.3.3 iPhone 4/4.1 iPhone 4/4.3.2 iPhone 3GS/4.2.1 iPad 2G/4.3.5 iPod touch 2G/4.2.1 iPhone 3GS/4.1 iPod touch 3G/5.0.1 iPhone 4S/5.0 iPad 2G/4.3.3 iPhone 4/4.3.4 iPhone 3GS/5.0 iPhone 3GS/4.0 iPhone 4/4.0.2 iPhone 3GS/4.0.1 iPad 2G/5.0 iPhone 3GS/4.3.2 iPhone 3GS/4.3.1 iPhone 3GS/4.3.4 iPod touch 4G/4.3.2 iPad 1G/4.2.1 iPod touch 4G/4.3.5 iPad 1G/4.3.5 iPhone 3GS/4.3 iPhone 3G/4.1 iPad 1G/4.3.3 iPhone 3GS/4.0.2 iPod touch 3G/4.3.5 iPod touch 4G/4.2.1 iPhone 4/5.1 iPod touch 4G/4.3.3 iPhone 4/4.2.10 iPhone 4S/5.1 iPod touch 4G/4.1 iPod touch 3G/4.2.1 iPad 1G/4.3.1 iPad 2G/4.3.1 iPod touch 3G/4.3.2 iPad 2G/4.3.2 iPod touch 4G/4.3.4 iPad 1G/4.3 iPhone 3G/4.0.1 iPhone 4/4.0.1 iPod touch 3G/4.3.3 iPad 1G/4.3.2 iPad 1G/4.3.4 iPad 2G/4.3.4 iPod touch 2G/4.1 iPod touch 4G/5.0 iPod touch 3G/4.3.1 iPhone 4G/5.0.1 iPhone 3G/4.0 iPad 1G/5.0 iPad 2G/4.3 iPod touch 3G/4.1 iPod touch 3G/4.3 iPod touch 4G/4.3.1 iPhone 3G/4.0.2 iPhone 4/4.0 iPod touch 3G/4.3.4 iPod touch 3G/5.0