MobileSyrup
News

Android distribution numbers show KitKat on 2.5% of devices, Gingerbread under 20%

By Daniel Bader
Android distribution numbers show KitKat on 2.5% of devices, Gingerbread under 20%

Android may be fragmented, but it’s becoming an increasingly reliable development platform, with a number of versions that no longer force app creators to sacrifice features in the name of compatibility.

As of March 3rd, Android 4.x comprises over 80% of all users, with Jelly Bean (4.1-4.3) making up 62% of the total number of Google Play-connected devices. Android 4.1 leads the way with 35.3%, a small decrease from last month, while 4.2 and 4.3 get notable bumps, up 0.8% and 0.7% respectively. Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) continues to drop as OEMs update their products to Jelly Bean or KitKat, down 0.9% from the month earlier.

Android 4.4 KitKat, the latest version from Google, continues to slowly ascend, reaching 2.5% of devices, up 0.7% from last month. Finally, Gingerbread, announced over three years ago, still comprise 19% of Androids, though its number has continued to drop.

A year ago, when Android 4.2 was the most recent version, Gingerbread made up 44.2% of devices, while ICS had 28.6% and Jelly Bean had a paltry 16.5%. It may seem like things are changing slowly, but Android is becoming a more developer-friendly platform every month.

It’s also worth noting that beginning in July, Google will no longer allow OEMs to release products with an operating system over nine months old; in other words, they’ll be limited to Android 4.3 and 4.4.

[source]Google[/source]

The top technology news, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive electronic communications from MobileSyrup, containing news, updates and promotions regarding MobileSyrup's products. You may withdraw your consent at any time.

Antenna. Get the signal.