Google is unifying its smartphone and tablet operating systems into the ridiculously-named “Ice Cream Sandwich” release, due out late this year. The company is also offering veiled promises of future compatibility for new devices, but that doesn’t erase two years (and more than 300 devices worth) of Android fragmentation, according to Peter Cohen, writing for ZDNet. (Yes, that Peter Cohen. He writes for The Loop too.)

“Certainly, Apple users have seen some older handsets – particularly the original iPhone and its immediate successor, the iPhone 3G – drop off the radar for software upgrades and enhancements. But it’s safe to say that the concept of fragmentation is practically alien to the Apple ecosystem, especially compared to the rampant compatibility issues and head-scratchers that pop up in the Android world.”

On fragmentation, Google still comes up short against Apple | ZDNet