By 
With all the devices either finding themselves updated, or being released with Ice Cream Sandwich (Galaxy Nexus, S2 and HTC Ones come to mind), you may have been wondering overall, how much of a market share Google’s latest firmware has been gaining. Well, wonder no more, friends. The Android Developers site has updated the data on their Platform Versions dashboard, and ‘ol ICS has made a sizeable leap, finding itself installed on a whopping 2.9% of current Android devices. Okay, while not all that impressive, it’s a nice improvement from the 1.6% we saw back in January.
The Platform Versions chart is a tool for developers to plan which version of Android to better cater their apps to. Gingerbread is still running strong with many devices today still launching with the now aged OS. This likely wont change until the end of this year when more devices — even lower-end entry level devices — begin launching with ICS. We’re moving on up!
I would like to point out the fact that the newest version of Android spreads among the users with a one-year lag.
ICS was launched in October 2011, and here we are: six months later, only 3% of users have it. And it’s no wonder, when OEMs like Sony still stick to Gingerbread even in March 2012 for their high-end phones (last year happened exactly the same thing with Gingerbread).
Google should seriously push OEMs to AT LEAST launch their devices with the new OS ready at hand, and not “planned in a future update”.
Let’s hope the Rezound and Razr make the ICS list this week.
I’m part of the 2.9%.
Gimme some of your Ice Cream you filthy rich 2.9%er!!!
Occupy Android.
Unfortunately a huge number of android phones are cheap, which is how android makes so much money. Those users aren’t going to get ICS unless they get new phones. Unfortunately the mod community is not the majority.
I’m curious as to whether this includes CM9 ROMs? Because I’m not sure if the data is from purchased ICS phones, or pushed updates, or both.
Hell… The t-mobile sgs2 still has not gotten it damn it.
I love it when people post spam links… oh hang on I don’t. I cast a pox upon thee!
Those are sad numbers…
As harsh as it sounds, I agree with applesuckkksss.. very true statement
I agree to a certain extent. However, fragmentation at the OS level isn’t the issue that most developers complain about. It’s hardware “fragmentation”. CPU, screen size, resolution, etc. It is pretty sad that OEM’s are releasing products still on an old software version. I personally believe that they should hold their products until they update the software…but they are more worried about their shareholders for obvious reasons.
It’s just part of being open source, there’s only so much you can (ethically?) control.
I think those are pretty good numbers, especially if you consider that there are only two Nexus phones running ICS off Manufacturer versions. The big upgrade spikes will likely be in the summer (back-to school) or next Christmas shopping season.
Only a crappy engineer like yourself would argue that those are “pretty good numbers”
LOL where the fuck did you get your degree from?
1) You have no credibility based on your cursing alone
2) You have no credibility based on your user name. A simple google search on it shows that you just troll & flame all around
3) Upgrading takes time. What percentage of non-Apple consumer PCs run Windows 7? Yet they’re still rolling out Windows 8 shortly.
So, to reiterate my point. If you assume that most ICS devices are *very new* phones & tablets (with the former greatly outnumbering), these are very good numbers when you consider how many devices that have been purchased since December 15th with ICS against the Total Market’s sales figures for that period, and also compare it with the total Android user base. The majority of users don’t root or mod their phones, and will wait for their contract to end (or longer) to upgrade their phone(s).
In addition the Value-Add proposition for Carriers to spend the various man-months implementing/testing/qualifying these software changes depends on the success of the phone. For example, it’s not bad PR to abandon support for a phone that no one bought.
edit: Also, the figures are based on Google Market/Play accesses. People (like myself) may continue using their obsolete phones in Wifi-only mode around their homes, and thus prevent them from ever falling off these charts.
I agree with applesucks, they DONT care if were updated…they only want us to buy new phones.
Just what I was saying before. Everyone is talking about this project Majel (google Assistant) and it being released Q4 with a new Android update. IF it is released on Jelly Bean we are NOT looking at Q4. Sure Jelly Bean may be out Q4 but seeing it on anything but 1 stinkin’ phone won’t be a reality until at least Q2 of the following year. It’s a joke!
The whole POINT of Aosp is control. If you want Ice cream, hit a website and install it. If you can’t HANDLE that, buy an iPhone. You can’t have an OPEN OS yet complain about lack of updates by carriers. Like being at an all you can eat buffet and wanting the waitress to bring you food. The tools are here! Use them! (xda, cwm)
I have a 2 year old device that’s on 4.0.4. Insanely fast and smooth. I’m not complaining about updates. Why are you?