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Note: This article was written to be informative and useful to anyone in the technology field. But it will be most useful to Android developers.

State of the Market

At the time of this writing, the Android OS (operating system) runs on more devices than any other operating system on Earth. Greater than 40 percent of computers run some version of Android. No other operating system even surpasses 30 percent.

Undoubtedly, you have at least 1 friend who believes Apple and their iPhones rule the world. That would be more correct if only considering the western world. So, the next time this subject comes up with your dear friend, hit them with a "only in America".

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Globally, Android is King

For the Android fans out there, this is a slight ego boost and it feels good. But I do not perceive the popularity of Android as a compliment or as a source of social validation. With slight discomfort, Android's popularity illuminates an obligation.

Having such a large market share leaves Android developers, more than any other developer, with a responsibility to serve more people in more countries.

Communication

What are the main forms of communication between people today?

Phone (calls, text, video calls, etc) and email.

According to the SellCell, more than 23 billion texts are sent daily around the world. With this immense amount of activity, your app development will likely require the handling of phone numbers.

Kotlin International Android (kia)

Kotlin International Android is an Android library that provides internationalization features and components; written completely in Kotlin.

Key features:

• Open source - The package is completely open source.
• Bundled Country Flags - Country flags icons are included with the package.
• Formatting Options - Supports user-friendly phone number formatting.
• Google Lib Phone Number - Uses this best in class phone number validator.

Phone numbers are complex! Fortunately, the kia package helps to simplify the handling of phone numbers.

Code Responsibly

If you're an Android developer, hopefully this article leaves you with your head held high and wide shoulders; but coupled with a cyber chain locked onto your soul 😞. You have billions of opportunities to serve someone but you must serve them from their country, their language, and their phone number format.

References

StatCounter. (2024). Operating System Market Share Worldwide.

https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share

Native Frame. (2024). Kotlin International Android.

https://github.com/nativeframe/kotlin-intl-android

Knight, S. (2024). How Many Text Messages Are Sent a Day?.

https://www.sellcell.com/blog/how-many-text-messages-are-sent-a-day-2023-statistics/