Two days after officially detailing Android 4.4 KitKat, Google on Saturday updated its Platform Versions Web page. And after loitering around the halfway mark, Android Jelly Bean (4.1, 4.2 and 4.3) has finally surpassed the 50 percent mark. It’s been well over a year now since Android 4.1 first hit the market, and while the numbers still don’t match that of Apple’s iOS, the numbers are more than satisfactory given Android’s reputation for fragmentation.
Since early last month, Jelly Bean has actually climbed quite a bit, up from 48.6 percent total to 52.1 percent. Diving deeper, Gingerbread is still a very visible thorn in Android’s side, and likely will be for at least a few more years, sticking around at 26.3 percent. Meanwhile, Ice Cream Sandwich fell below 20 percent, to 19.8 percent total, while 1.7 percent of devices are still enduring Froyo. During the period that ended Oct. 2, Gingerbread was at 28.5 percent, so distribution is certainly falling.
However, with the arrival of Android 4.4 KitKat, the charts will certainly look different next month. Many manufacturers have already voiced their commitment to bringing the latest update to a wide array of devices, so we’re confident the newest OS will be adopted much quicker than we saw in the past. Google explained that KitKat is meant for new and old devices, giving it a much wider reach than previous versions. For now, Android 4.4 is confined to the Nexus 5, with other Nexus devices set to receive the update soon.
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