14 DAY TRIAL // Google has recently launched its Distribution Chart for Android versions and there are no surprises there. In short, Marshmallow continues to increase its market share considerably, thanks to the recent launch of highly anticipated smartphones, as well as older devices being upgraded, while other Android versions slightly dropped.
Google’s distribution numbers are in for May 2016, and aside from Marshmallow’s 2.9% rise, other Android versions failed to report significant increases. The numbers show that Gingerbread dropped by 0.4% compared to April while Ice Cream Sandwich saw a downfall of 0.2%.
Jelly Bean registered a minor fall but continues to be among the top three Android versions. Lollipop still holds the biggest share of the Android market at 35.6%, with the 5.1 version stagnating at 19.4%. It’s followed closely by KitKat, which managed to drop 0.9%.
Android M saw a significant rise to 7.5%, making its way towards the top, but it still has a long way to go, especially considering its initial problems which were addressed in the 6.0.1 version. In the previous month, Marshmallow managed to double its numbers and reach up to 4.6.
Updates and smartphone releases boosted Android M market share
Marshmallow’s increased market share doesn’t come as a surprise, considering major releases in the past period of time. Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge came packed with the latest Android version, right out of the box.
Major system updates were rolled out in the past month, thus having an impact on distribution numbers. Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S5 series got their share of updates, together with BlackBerry PRIV, Xperia Z2/Z3 and Z2 tablet, One Plus One and many more.
Since its debut in October 2015, Android M has gradually climbed in market share, but the rise was slow, as many encountered problems with Wi-Fi connectivity, battery drain, and even some issues with downloading content. Sync issues have also been reported, some inconsistencies have been fixed in the 6.0.1 version while some phones are still waiting for this update.