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Comment by MAGZine | Hacker News Reader

I feel that supporting Android 2.3 at this time is roughly equivalent to supporting IE6. For the majority of people, just stop targeting 2.3 support as a requirement. Perhaps it'll net you some additional marketshare in emerging markets, but for the most part, ≥API14 is ubiquitous to a point where this is a sensible decision.

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<API14 is 30.8% of the user base.

http://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/index.html

IE6 is 4.9%

http://www.ie6countdown.com/

They're completely different.

I'm no Android developer, but with as many API versions I know of for Android it's not hard to imagine that the development experience is very similar. Supporting <API14 may cost more in development and support than the potential customer base gain, especially if the target market is the sort that would have newer devices.

Yea, I think that's a pretty bad comparison. If you look at the IE graph you posted, it's less than 1% in the US.

Another graph that might make things easier to visualize (the blue and above is who we're talking about abandoning): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Android-dist-by-dessert.pn...

I will grant that it is a bad comparison. But, not for percentage based reasons. I initially wrote the comment that abandoning <14 now is like abandoning ie6 back in 2010, when google dropped support[1], but percentage wise, that's not fair either.

Since Android API 14 is just celebrating its 14th birthday, I'd guess (nothing to back this up) that you're going to see a sharp dropoff of Android 2.3 marketshare as people replace their old phones. Between developing for the future, and incentivising people to switch away from old technology (people don't want to buy an old phone that can't run the latest goodies), I think this is still the correct path to choose.

Kill it with fire. I don't take much issue with making Android 2.3 a second-class citizen at this point.

[1] http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser_version-ww-monthly-201001...

>I'd guess (nothing to back this up) that you're going to see a sharp dropoff of Android 2.3 marketshare as people replace their old phones... Kill it with fire. I don't take much issue with making Android 2.3 a second-class citizen at this point.

You could very well be right, but I think you have the wrong impression of the users.

We view IE6 users as a completely technology inept minority. They could upgrade to a better browser in seconds (not including the enterprise).

Android users on the other hand? I've been an Android user for 4 years. I got tired of getting gouged by Verizon and just switched to Republic wireless. So I have a brand new phone and I'm on 2.3.

Even leaving the percentages out of it, I don't think it's appropriate.

I'm not going to lie--I think buying any device running 2.3 at this point is a giant waste of money, comparable to buying a laptop with Windows XP on it. There is no reason. Nexus 4s are recently out of stock at $200, and the Nexus 5 will probably compete in that area too.

It's a shame that republic wireless is handing out 2.3 devices--that really should stop.

It seems like there is some backstory behind the phone and the versioning (this is the only phone currently offered until the Moto X next month, which has 4.2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Defy#Manufacturer_crit...

Sorry you think it's a "giant waste of money." I need a phone and I'm now saving something like $40/month over my previous plan.

Perhaps worth looking at the drill down based on country/language...

Most users can easily upgrade their browser if forced to. Upgrading your phone is not as easy.

Not supporting IE6 will cost you lucrative enterprise dollars, Android 2.3, while popular, is not nearly as profitable.

There is a big difference though. People who run IE6 would be usually capable of running some more recent browser, but for various reasons choose not to. People who are stuck with Android 2.x are stuck because their hardware can't support newer versions of Android (well there are various custom ROMs that "work" with various degree of success on older devices, but not really in a usable form).

People running IE6 are doing it because their IT department won't let them upgrade.

People running Android 2.3 are doing it because their carrier won't let them upgrade.

There are certain circumstances where you want to support ie6, though not many outside enterprisey things.

ie6 has lost widespread support. Heck, google stopped supporting it three years ago

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