Definition

mobile device fragmentation

Mobile device fragmentation is the deployment and use of several different versions of the same mobile operating system during the same period of time.

Mobile device fragmentation is often associated with Android, Google’s mobile OS, because it is up to the wireless carrier to decide when to deploy Android updates to different devices. Mobile device fragmentation is not as much of an issue with iOS smartphones and tablets because Apple manufactures its own devices and has sole control over when new mobile OS updates become available. 

The term mobile device fragmentation is also used to describe different versions of the same operating system that are created when an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) modifys an open source mobile operating system for specific products.

 

 

Contributor(s): Colin Steele
This was last updated in June 2012
Posted by: Margaret Rouse

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