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Android fragmentation has been a persistent issue ever since the platform was introduced, and it seems it's bound to get worse than ever, with Gingerbread (and even Froyo) refusing to go, Ice Cream Sandwich being adopted slowly and Jelly Bean lurking around the corner. Developing software for Android or even simply owning an Android device is and will continue to be affected by this situation.
We'll see if Google's recent launch of its Platform Development Kit (PDK), which will be delivered to hardware manufacturers in advance for each version of Android, will alleviate this problem in the future.
BONUS: A Walk-Through of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean