Android 2.3 users

Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
32,623
We have an android demo app that shows off our data and predictions bossiness. Although it is a demo app we want it used by as many people as possible so currently the code supports everything from Android 2.3 up. however, their are many API changes from ICS (4.0) onwards we would like to use but this breaks backwards compatibility and coding this in has resulted in messy and complex code. This wouldn't be an issues if the app was our main business but it is just a demo so we can't afford to spend much dev time maintaining all of this.


Any thoughts on what will happen to all the Android 2.3 devices in the next 6 months, or who these users are? Our expectation is that a lot of people who own such phones are less likely to be interested in our app. Our target audience may be likely to use navigation apps and such like.
 
Associate
Joined
5 Jun 2013
Posts
1,531
Can't be too many android 2.3 devices left? Many people on contract phones will get a new one after their contract is up and they would end up with ICS.

Anyone keeping a phone and interested in upgrading you can upgrade prettymuch any old android phone to run ICS, I would be surprised if not supporting 2.3 would cause any issues. There are probably plenty of apps which require ICS, just make it clear in the description so people are aware that they're phone may need updating.
 

GeX

GeX

Soldato
Joined
17 Dec 2002
Posts
6,895
Location
Manchester
What issues are you having that are not catered for with the compatibility library? I've just begun the UI development of an Android version of one of our company apps - I'm using recently introduced patterns (navigation drawer layout) and am not anticipating any problems (it was announced at Google IO 2013 that the support library would be useable for these patterns, and that people should write new apps using it rather than action bar sherlock).

tbh though, if it was a demo app - I'd make use of the new APIs, keep it simple and target API15 as a min.
 
Back
Top Bottom