Smarter Agent Top 20 Mobile Devices, 2011   by Eric Blumberg

What mobile devices are hot and what devices are not is always an interesting question and something we here at Smarter Agent watch very closely. I thought it would be interesting to take a snapshot during the holiday season (HAPPY HOLIDAYS!) with plans to revisit in February 2012 to see what “HOT” new devices are used for looking for real estate.

To be perfectly honest, the Smarter Agent platform manages this data daily on behalf of our clients. This is the “fun” part of the fragmented mobile ecosystem we have been operating for over a decade. We understand the devices that run our applications are key to insuring we provide the best user experience to each and every one of our clients and their customers. Current mobile devise usage stats are also vital to planning features and support based on the most sought-after devices and the OS versions they are running.

In November 2011, we tracked more than 200 different mobile devices accessing our Real Estate applications. An interesting factoid here is that those 200+ devices logged over 900 different hardware/software combinations.

That means that our mobile platform has to insure that our clients applications are stable with all the combination and different feature sets that each device offers. This is exactly what our mobile real estate platform does and why we love mobile, but to be honest if you are looking into A Mobile solution, you MUST consider this fragmentation and how it can affect the functionality of your mobile real estate application. Your clients expect, and deserve, nothing less.

Top 20 Fastest growing devices based on new users in November 2011

1. Apple iOS4Device
2. Apple Iphone 4 (Gsm)
3. HTC EVO 4G
4. Apple Iphone 4s
5. Apple iPhone 4 (CDMA)
6. Apple iPhone 3GS
7. Apple iPod Touch 4G
8. Motorola Droid X / Shadow
9. Htc Desire HD
10. Samsung Fascinate
11. HTC Incredible
12. Samsung Epic 4G
13. HTC Thunderbolt
14. HTC Glacier
15. BlackBerry Torch 9800
16. Motorola Droid 2
17. HTC Droid Incredible 2
18. HTC Shooter/EVO 3D
19. Apple iPad 2
20. LG Optimus S

Top 20 devices based on active users in November 2011

1. Apple iOS4Device
2. Apple iPhone 4 (GSM)
3. Apple iPhone 4 (CDMA)
4. HTC EVO 4G
5. Apple iPhone 3GS
6. Apple iPhone 4s
7. BlackBerry Torch 9800
8. Motorola Droid X / Shadow
9. Samsung Fascinate
10. Samsung Epic 4G
11. BlackBerry 8530
12. HTC Desire HD
13. HTC Incredible
14. Motorola Droid 2
15. HTC Thunderbolt
16. Apple iPod Touch 4G
17. BlackBerry 9700
18. BlackBerry 9650
19. HTC Glacier
20. Apple iPhone 3g

As you review the Smarter Agent Top 20 Mobile Device List, keep in mind that is only reveals a tip of the iceberg of the growing Mobile fragmentation issue that need to be addressed in any mobile solution, including mobile web. Fragmentation is the dark little secret that is often in the small print when you review a mobile web solution.
Michael Degusta did a great job of doing a Case Study of Google’s Android Fragmentation.

To put it in layman’s terms, DeGusta said “fragmentation must be managed or your shiny new application will start losing market share the day after it is launched”, meaning your mobile app will not work properly on the 100′s of combinations that have been introduced recently to mobile technology nor on the new devices that come out weekly.

This fragmentation creates a vicious cycle considering there are multiple types of Cell Phones from different manufacturers that produce devices with small screens, large screens, sideways screens, etc. and more importantly all running different android operating system versions. Most “new” Android devices launch with an older version of the operating system, and the manufacturer has no path planned to upgrade.

Using Google Android’s Fragmentation as an example:

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