Netflix now available on 4 out of 5 Android devices

It took several months, but Netflix for Android is now available to most Android smartphones and small tablets. The company updated its software in the Android Market and no longer limits the download to specific device models. Instead, any phone or tablet running Android 2.2 or 2.3 can now use the video streaming service.

I was tipped off on the update from Gotta Be Mobile and verified it in the Android Market. The timing was nearly perfect for me personally. I got tired of waiting for official Netflix support and just installed an unofficial build earlier this very week on my 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab, which runs Android 2.3.

Now that there’s an official version direct from Netflix, I’ve installed it to ensure future updates, as the small slate with integrated 3G and Wi-Fi makes a great, portable Netflix machine.

When Netflix first launched for Android in May of this year, it only supported a few handsets while Netflix was testing its app on individual models. The company either sped up its testing efforts or at this point has simply tested enough on various Android 2.2 and 2.3 devices to be comfortable with a blanket launch. And for all of the valid talk on Android fragmentation, this means that Netflix is capable of running on roughly 81.9 percent of all Android devices now.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

How Android’s fragmentation issue is slowly receding

Android fragmentation has long been a hot topic and for good reason. Google was iterating its mobile platform quickly; handset makers couldn’t keep up without investing more time, money, or both; and developers showed frustration with the many versions of Android and handset configurations. That led to various versions of Android in customers hands with different features, application support and no guarantees of future upgrades. But the situation is getting better.

Steps to fix the problem

About 18 months ago, I highlighted the problem of fragmentation and noted some steps Google was taking to alleviate it. Breaking out core Google applications from the Android platform has helped, because the updated software for Mail, YouTube and Maps, for example, are all available in the Android Market. Handset owners don’t have to wait for Android updates to get the latest version of these apps.

Google has also slowed down the pace of Android updates, now that it can. By that, I mean it had to initially mature Android quickly in order to compete — at least in terms of features — with Apple’s iOS. I’d say that for most people, Google has “caught up” to iOS in terms of the most used features. Sure there are still differences, but I’d argue that the ones that remain are fairly negligible. And where there are gaps in either mobile platform compared to the other, these can often be addressed through third-party software.

How bad is the problem now?

The slowed pace of updates has led to a majority of handset owners now running variations of Android 2.2 or 2.3: Google reports that of all Android devices visiting the Android Market over the two weeks prior to Sept.2, 81.9 percent run these two main versions, or a sub-version like 2.3.3. Android 1.5 and 1.6 only account for 2.8 percent of all Android devices, while there are still 13.3 percent running Android 2.1

I’m making a distinction and lumping Android 2.2, 2.3 and 2.3.3 together. Why? As a long-time daily Android user, Android 2.2 (Froyo) brought huge improvements to the platform in May of 2010. Android 2.3, and its subsequent minor point updates, haven’t added as much, or at least not much that users are complaining about.

Each version or sub-version of Android adds new APIs for developers to use, but even here, the last few Android updates have provided relatively little compared to versions from last year or earlier. Android 2.3.4, not shown yet in the data, is rolling out now to the Nexus S, but only includes bug fixes and no new APIs.

This approach of bundling Android 2.2, 2.3 and 2.3.3 is certainly arguable, and the first question I’d pose to any such argument is: “What key functions are you missing if you’re running Android 2.2 and not a higher version?” There are a few, but not too many of high impact to most consumers, in my opinion.

Carriers are the other factor

Google doesn’t dictate which phones launch with which version of Android, nor does it really have any say about existing handset upgrades. These decisions generally lie with network carriers, with the lone exceptions of the Google Nexus handsets; Google pushes updates directly to these smartphones as they see fit — a key reason I bought and still use a Nexus One.

In May, Google announced the Android Update Alliance to bridge the gap between Android releases and carrier updates. Key partners include Verizon, HTC, Samsung, Sprint, Sony Ericsson, LG, Motorola, AT&T and Vodafone. The group promises handset updates for up to 18 months after a phone is introduced. I think it’s bit early to assess the effort, but Justin Shapcott did just that in an insightful post at Android and Me. This chart, broken down by carrier, shows the current state of Update Alliance Members.

Based on this look, it’s clear the carriers have work to do: They need to nudge their handset partners to invest the effort into creating updates and then, in turn, the carriers need to test and push those updates out. However, more phones are appearing with Android 2.3 or better out of the box, which will help.

Is it as bad as it was?

While the fragmentation issue looks a little dire in the above graphic, I still think it’s getting better, but perhaps that’s because I don’t make much of a distinction between Android 2.2 and any subsequent version. The situation also took two to three years to create; it’s not going to magically disappear over time. But as I look back, I do see less of an issue due to the small steps Google has been taking to address it.

An additional effort has much to do with Android tablets as well as phones. Ice Cream Sandwich, the next major version of Android, will unify the platform between both device types, which should ease future problems as Android continues to mature.

Unfortunately, fragmentation will never be completely addressed. Android will always be fragmented by definition if any handset maker can use it in any way they see fit. Various screen sizes, hardware component choices, development budgets and target price points affect Android devices and the versions of Android that they run.

The only way to eliminate the problem is for Google to either cease licensing the platform and build its own devices, like Apple, or for the Android-maker to be very specific in terms of hardware requirements, like Microsoft. I don’t expect either of those things to happen. And that’s OK, because the fragmentation issue is less of a problem than it was 18 months ago.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

Verizon Droid Bionic launches Sept. 8, $299

Verizon launched the Droid Bionic, another 4G LTE phone, on Wednesday, just a day before the handset will be available in stores. The Bionic, built by Motorola, complements 4G network support with a dual-core processor and a large, high-resolution touchscreen. Verizon will offer the Droid Bionic for a contract price of $299 starting on Sept. 8.

This high-end handset was shown off by Motorola back in January at the Consumer Electronics Show, where Sanjay Jha, Motorola’s CEO, said it would launch in the second quarter of 2011. That didn’t happen, but Android enthusiasts on Verizon’s network may forgive the carrier based on the hardware features and functions in the Bionic:

Similar to the Motorola Atrix that debuted earlier this year on AT&T’s network, Verizon will offer a lapdoc solution for the Bionic. The $300 accessory is an 11.6-inch notebook shell that is powered by the smartphone when docked. A $99 dock option charges the phone and pipes video to a connected HDTV.

Stay tuned for a first-look video and full review of the Droid Bionic; we have a review unit in-house and will follow up with more details and impressions of Verizon’s newest LTE smartphone.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

Android this week: Amazon’s tablet spied; Samsung Note debuts; Tablets galore at IFA

Amazon’s long-awaited entry into the Android tablet space is nearly ready and expected to launch in time for the holiday season. But it’s not the tablet that some were expecting. MG Siegler from TechCrunch spent an hour with a sample of the device and shared his experience: Instead of a full-fledged Android tablet, Amazon’s new Kindle slate runs a forked version of Android under the hood that no user is likely to ever see.

The 7-inch tablet takes a cue from the Barnes & Noble Nook Color; arguably the most successful non-iPad tablet if it fits your definition of one, and likely to see a hardware refresh soon. Amazon’s tablet will use a completely customized interface, not have Google apps of any kind, nor will it access the Android Market. It will run apps from Amazon’s AppStore.

Software to read Kindle books, watch Amazon videos on demand or play music from Amazon’s MP3 store and Cloud Drive service are the focal points. Expected to launch for $249, possibly with a free subscription to the Amazon Prime shipping service — normally $79 per year — the tablet could be a holiday hit for mainstream consumers who want a traditional Kindle with more access to Amazon services.

Those wanting something smaller than a tablet but bigger than a standard phone may be more interested in the newly announced Samsung Note. The handset uses a 5.30 inch Super AMOLED display with 1280×800 resolution and includes a digital pen which fits inside the phone for storage. Samsung says this combination of hardware features makes the Note a new class of device for enterprise users who want to capture and store digital notes. The pen is pressure sensitive and may be used for drawing images as well.


Samsung hasn’t abandoned the 7-inch tablet market, however. The company also announced a refresh of the existing Galaxy Tab with a 7.7-inch version that uses a 1280×800 screen like the Note. However, the display technology is boosted up to Samsung’s Super AMOLED Plus, providing more vivid colors that appear to pop off the screen. The new tablet uses a dual-core 1.4 GHz processor, Google Android Honeycomb and a boosted battery capacity over the prior version.

Toshiba and Lenovo also debuted new Android tablets this week at the IFA exhibition in Berlin, Germany. Toshiba slimmed down its existing Thrive tablet to create the AT200; just 7.7 millimeters in thickness. The 10.1-inch slate uses a 1.2 GHz dual-core process from Texas Instruments and has a micro HDMI port to share media with a high-definition television.

Lenovo’s newest Android entry, the A1, runs on Gingerbread, which is designed for smartphones, and offers 1024×600 resolution on a 7-inch touchscreen display. It only has a single core processor and reminds me of last year’s Galaxy Tab from Samsung. However, the Wi-Fi model with many of last year’s hardware components has a price from 2010 as well: the A1 will cost only $199 and should appeal to many at that price due to its versatility and portability.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

AT&T preps Gingerbread update for 6 Android phones

Six of AT&T’s Google-powered handsets will soon see a software upgrade to Gingerbread, the latest version of Android for smartphones. Starting on Monday, owners of the Motorola Atrix 4G will be prompted to install the new Android 2.3 software. The software will be delivered over the air only when the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. On Monday AT&T said that any post-paid Android device introduced this year is expected to gain the Gingerbread software.

Although Google released Android 2.3 in December, handset makers and carriers alike have been slow to push the software. Only recently have new smartphones included Gingerbread out of the box and few have seen an upgrade to the new software. The situation of Android software releases arriving frequently has been a frustrating one: Consumers are buying smartphones without knowing if or when Android updates would arrive.

In May, Google publicly addressed the issues saying it would work with carriers and hardware makers to speed up the process and ensure that new hardware would see firmware updates for at least 18 months. Although I suspect most customers don’t even know which version of Android is on their phone, this illustrates the difference as compared to Apple’s iPhone. Apple produces updates faster and has less reliance on carriers; instead, the company creates the update and begins pushing it directly to handsets immediately upon release.

Monday’s software news from AT&T is welcome then, and not just for the Atrix 4G (see our review here). These other handsets are also planned to see the upgrade to Android 2.3: HTC Inspire 4G, LG Phoenix, Pantech Crossover, as well as Samsung’s Captivate 4G and Infuse 4G. The Inspire 4G looks to be the next phone targeted for a Gingerbread update, with an August release for the software update. Owners of the Captivate may be most appreciate here as the Galaxy S for AT&T’s network is a year old.

Consumers may crave the latest operating system version on their handset, but I’ve been running Gingerbread since January on my Google Nexus One. To be honest, Froyo or Android 2.2, offered far more features and performance gains. I’ve confirmed with AT&T that it is pushing out Android 2.3.4 but have yet to hear if that includes support for Google Talk video calling on smartphones with front-facing cameras; I have a note in to my contacts and will update if I hear back.

Regardless of that specific question, AT&T is moving forward with Android updates in a fresh, new public way. And that could eliminate consumer fears that their smartphones will be running outdated software for an indeterminate amount of time.

Update: My contact at AT&T has told me via email that for the Atrix 4G, the Android 2.3.4 upgrade will include support for Google Talk video over Wi-Fi networks.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

show
 
close
Fixing YouTube iFrame Z-index using jQuery | Daddy Design http://t.co/nuonateM