14 DAY TRIAL // Android 5.0 has been available for more than half a year, but still not many mobile devices take advantage of Google’s new build.
As we have been telling you recently, compared to the older version of Android, Lollipop continues to take up a meager percentage, as shown in the distribution numbers provided by Google itself.
In March, we saw that Android 5.0 Lollipop’s spread was quite limited, amounting to only 3.3% of the market, five months after launch. The previous version, KitKat, is the one carrying the most bulk, with 40.9% of all Android devices using it. Next in line were Android 4.2.x Jelly Bean with 19.4% and Jelly Bean 4.1.x with 17.3%.
Fast forward one month, the updated numbers for the first week of April show that things haven’t changed much.
Android 5.1 hasn't been out long but already holds 0.4% of the market
As mentioned, the figures don’t indicate dramatic modifications, but the biggest change consists in the fact that Android 5.1 has appeared on the chart.
So far, Google’s latest build has been going out to Nexus devices and some Google Play Edition smartphones and tablets (the Nexus 7 and Nexus 9 aren’t rocking it still).
But some manufacturers like Motorola have already promised Android 5.1 for some of their handsets. The company actually started a soak test for the second-gen Moto X, which is currently underway.
It’s interesting to note that it took Lollipop more than three months to pass the 0.1% threshold needed to be listed in the chart. And Android 5.1 managed to jump to 0.4% after being out only for a few weeks.
Lollipop 5.0 also jumped from 3.3% to 5%, an increase that can be attributed to the fact that manufacturers continue to update their older models and are also releasing new handsets and tablets running the new platform.
Among older Android versions in the chart, we notice that KitKat has increased its market share since March, now being installed on 41.4% of the Android devices (up from 40.9%).
Jelly Bean is not far behind with 40.7%, while Gingerbread still holds 6.4%. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich still lives on 5.7% of mobile devices, while Froyo powers 0.4%, just like Android 5.1 Lollipop.
