Understanding the severity of iOS fragmentation
The term fragmentation is most frequently used in relation to the Android ecosystem. This is because fragmentation is a major issue in Android. On the other hand, the iOS ecosystem isn’t as fragmented when compared to Android. Apple has taken numerous measures to keep fragmentation levels minimal. It also ensures that users upgrade to the latest version as soon as possible by delivering timely and easy updates.
Nonetheless, bear in mind that every iOS user can’t or won’t upgrade to the latest iOS version at the same time.
Additionally, Apple also launched a separate OS for its iPad devices — the iPadOS to provide a dedicated and delightful tablet experience. This move has enabled Apple to free its tablets from certain limitations imposed in iOS.
The iOS fragmentation issue, albeit less severe, persists for the Apple ecosystem too. This can be driven by the fact that approximately 22% (as of the date of writing this article) of iOS users are not running the latest version of iOS, i.e., iOS 14.2.
A key reason for this is Apple made the latest iOS version (14.2.1) available only for premium handsets like iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 pro max, iPhone mini.
As of date, iOS usage is widespread across a few popular versions like 12.4, 13.7, 14.0, 14.1 ,14.2. Listed below are some popular iOS versions and its market share.
OS 14.2 — 32.07%
iOS 14.1 — 18.73%
iOS 14.0 — 10.73%
iOS 13.7 — 9.26 %
iOS 13.6 — 6%
iOS 12.4 — 7.33%
Find out more about version usage at this source.
Given the above stats, one can easily conclude how the iOS ecosystem features concerns related to iOS fragmentation.
How to deal with iOS Fragmentation?
iOS users expect their app to provide them with a delightful user experience regardless of whatever iOS version they are using. With tons of applications already available on the App Store, users don’t think twice about uninstalling an app if they are unsatisfied with its performance. This can be proven from the fact that 56% of users uninstall poorly optimized apps within a week of installation.
QA engineers can ensure the stability of iOS apps by optimizing their apps by testing on real Apple devices. Needless to say, there are many variants of Apple devices in use globally. Naturally, it can be challenging for teams to set up, maintain, and upgrade an on-premise device lab that includes all the Apple iPhones and iPads for testing.
Setting up a comprehensive device lab demands enormous investment, which is not a feasible option for small organizations. Teams can address this issue by using a real device cloud for testing. Basically, this infrastructure provides QA engineers with real mobile devices for testing websites and applications in real user conditions.
Unlike Google’s Android, the Apple ecosystem isn’t open-source. This is a driving factor behind Apple’s minimal fragmentation levels. However, developers seeking to develop apps for Apple devices need to ensure that their apps and websites are optimized for all the latest versions and configurations of iOS or iPadOS. This ensures that a larger audience can use these apps.
Unlike Google’s Android, the Apple ecosystem isn’t open-source. This is a driving factor behind Apple’s minimal fragmentation levels. However, developers seeking to develop apps for Apple devices need to ensure that their apps and websites are optimized for all the latest versions and configurations of iOS or iPadOS. This ensures that a larger audience can use these apps.
