Google’s Android distribution numbers are rarely a pretty sight, but this month’s results might be the most disappointing we’ve ever seen them.
The latest version, Pie, hasn’t made an appearance on the charts. It was released two months ago, and still there are less than 0.1% of Android devices that have it installed and active. As hard as Google’s tried to fight back against fragmentation, the vast majority of phones and tablets based on its mobile operating system continue to be outdated.
Do some simple math, and you’ll realize that Pie is on no more than 2 million devices. That’s severely disappointing for Google and Android users.
If there’s any positive, it would be that Oreo made a significant jump. Almost everything else fell, and the exception was Gingerbread for some strange reason. You would think a version from more than seven years ago would be extinct at this point, but it’s clinging on for dear life in late 2018.
These are the percentage changes from the last report:
- Oreo: +7.1%
- Nougat: -1.5%
- Marshmallow: -1.5%
- Lollipop: -2.1%
- KitKat: -1.3%
- Jelly Bean: -0.4%
- Ice Cream Sandwich: no change
- Gingerbread: +0.1%
Even so, Oreo isn’t the most popular version of Android. That would be Nougat despite its August 2016 release date. Yet again, there is a new version of Android entering the mix while the last version never had the chance to catch up and claim dominance. It’s a cycle that we’ve witness stay true for a decade.
Now we’ve come to understand that Google isn’t publishing Android distribution numbers as frequently.
After a period in which the data was kept hidden (and TechnoBuffalo requested it), the Mountain View-based company decided that every other month should suffice. That’ll mean gains/losses are more dramatic, but it won’t hide lackluster performance.
