When i plans new application for Android, at first i think about life cycle of new software. Its more and more difficult of course, because of Android fragmentation. As you know fragmentation it’s a numbers of version of operating system existing on the market. Android is a leader in this „feature”. Today we have six mainstream versions of Android and additionally every producer must add its own interface to system (you know what i mean… – Samsung TouchWiz, called LagWiz 🙂 ).

Apart from the differences in the functions and compatibility of various solutions, every time i ask to myself – with which version of Android application should be compatible? At the moment, most appropriate it seems customization of applications for Android 4 (ie Android 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4), since this version of the system has the largest part of the market. However, if the application life time is about two years, it is time to think about support for Android 5 Lollipop.

Newest Android 5.0 and 5.1, a few months after the release, it has a market share of 1.6% level. However, its importance will increase with devices presented by manufacturers in this year. So – where is the problem? Maybe, a little, in this, that Google radically changed design of the user interface in the latest version of the system. Android 5 has a new flat design of the user interface called Material Design. Applications for Android 4 in the latest installment look like they do not fit into the whole.

Therefore, when planning a new application, it is worth considering the use of a Material Design interface also for earlier versions of the system. It’s probably good idea. For users of the older versions of Android application will have a little strange, but still elegant, user interface and over the next several months, while Android 5 will gradually replace older versions, the new application does not will be devalue itself.