By Well, folks, it looks like Gingerbread is finally starting to make a steady descent into the ranks of the obsolete. Well… there’s still a long way to go, but progress is progress! The percentage of Android devices on Gingerbread has finally dipped below 50%. Only about 47.4% of devices remain on the increasingly archaic platform, and while that’s still a heft number considering the hundreds of millions of devices floating about, we have to acknowledge that progress is progress.
Froyo, Donut and Eclair all took hits in this two week period ending January 3rd, but it wasn’t enough to write home about. Cupcake has been exiled from the list altogether, and while it provided some good memories back in the days when the HTC Magic and Dream were the only Android devices available I can’t say I’ll miss it at all.
The future looks bright, though, as the most modern versions of Android — those running 4.0 and higher — make up nearly 40% of the pie. Specifically, Ice Cream Sandwich is now on 29.1% of all devices, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is on 9% of all devices, and Android 4.2 is on 1.2% of all devices. It’s tough to realize that Android 4.1 never hit double digits before Android 4.2 launched, but hopefully this’ll play out like the quick jumps between Android 2.3 to 2.3.3, and from Android 2.0.1 to Android 2.1 did.
Regardless, most are happy to finally be on the new and improved Holo UI and take advantage of all the 4.0+ exclusive apps that have been sprinkled throughout the Google Play Store as of late. Unless Google slows down to a yearly update schedule then the problem of fragmentation will never die (even that isn’t certain), and that’s just something we’re going to have to learn to live with, folks. Take a look at the breakdown above.
[via Android Developers]
I dont like this acceptance in the tone of this article and others that I have read recently that we shouldn’t expect updates. We should get updates in a timely manner! ESPECIALLY security holes which are often overlooked.
If you tell me to use custom roms I won’t be happy. Destroying my warranty isn’t the solution.
My phone was repaired with a “destroyed warranty” completely free. just gotta know how to cover your tracks.
word
Well we definitely should urge OEMs and carriers to get on the ball, but at the same time the realist in me wants to make sure folks don’t get their hopes up. There’s only so much that can be done when it comes to voicing distaste for the current state of Android updates, though.
The only “solution” is getting a Nexus device. Otherwise you should pretty much expect to stay with the firmware your non-Nexus device came with.
Any updates to the firmware after that are a bonus, but not mandatory. In-firmware updates to address security and stability are definitely a must though.
The s3 has had a billion minor firmware updates and two major ones in the last 2 months. It shipped with 4.0.x and got lots of little updates, got 4.1.1 with tonnes of two enhancements to boot, and got 4.1.2, though it had many 4.2.x features and lots of new touch wiz features including multi window apps. 4.2.1 has already been confirmed to be on its way and 4.3/5.0 are most likely to come not long after they release. Not bad for a platform that never gets updates..
I know this is a rare example though, most models are fortunate to see even one update, even other flagships. Its a shame, but I am more than happy with the s3 and doubt I’d ever go nexus when touch wiz adds so much personality and functionality without any loss of performance.
And once the Galaxy S4 comes out, what do you think they will do? I do lyk how Samsung are bringing out timely updates, but I want to see what they will do once their next flagship device comes out. Will they forget about it?
They’re passing the 1st half of the test, I sure hope they can past the next.
Well I think there’s an answer to your question already, the original Galaxy Note is suppose to get Jelly Bean with multiview . That device is coming all the way from Gingerbread, that’s pretty much unheard of for a device that old.
Oh thats good. “Supposed to”. Thats nice and all to hear, but lets see it happen. Lets see if Samsung can start gaining back trust. I kinda believe you though. I doubt they would leave their Note 1 behind.
P.S. I know its not called that but I’m typing on my phone so leave me alone. LoL!!
I hope so too – but after one more huge update its had as many major updates as typical iProducts get so at least they won’t be straddling the line, but again that isn’t an excuse for them to drop it. I won’t mind though if the updates take a few months longer when the s4 is out, considering the good job they have done. Late updates > no updates and late is acceptable after the good job they’ve done during the flagship year.
After all, the s2 is supposed to get 4.1.2 this month too so a month longer for the older device isn’t too bad (ignoring carrier update time – Samsung can’t control that).
Being honest though4.1.1 gave the s3 all the functionally I wanted / expected and everything since was a bonus. 4.0.4 was useable but shoddy IMO (the home screen redraw was awful and there was still a lot of lag for such a powerful phone After all apps and widgets were loaded)
So anything extra is just bonus, and would like 5.0 just to ensure that I can install all the next generation of apps. After that it doesn’t matter as ill either upgrade to the s4 mid-cycle or wait for the the s5.
Sorry ha kind of gone off on a tangent in replying.
I heard the light and went Nexus with my last handset (Galaxy Nexus) and for the most part I’m very pleased but it’s not all cheers and giggles of excitement as bugs are a part of getting the latest firmware. Bluetooth is now useless on my phone which is a major bummer in the car! Having so many devices to choose from is both a major strength and weakness in Android. If everyone owned a Nexus they would likely fix bugs quicker but it would be boring if we all had the same phone. So if just a few more people (about 5 million I think) get a Nexus please then that might tip the bug fix balance I think :)
You heard the light?…
I think it my special power, a bit like the women in Hero’s that could see sounds ;-)
you have to keep in mind that because their is so many Android devices most of those devices could be 2-4 years old like the droid 2/x, I think they should only count the devices released after 2011, if they did the number would be over 80% on 4.0+
Android 4.0+ is doing really good!
jelly bean is doing good considering all low end devices are still shipping with gingerbread
I beg to differ.
The cheap stuff is coming out with ICS or JB too nowadays because it’s a selling point.
Part of that 40% is my long overdue for jelly bean HTC One X!
Why is there still people on Froyo and Eclair? this should be absent completely. Unacceptable people. Upgrade to better things!
Those are probably the people either on non-contracts, meaning they’re using their phone until it dies, and/or people using their phone waiting on the right phone to come out. Why should they get the S3 now knowing the S4 will come out this year?
I’m sure that list will be 1% by time this year ends… Hopefully…
EDIT: Oh, and “Why are there…”
This years S4 is pretty much just a smaller note 2 though from the sounds of it lol
Where’d you get that? It’s gonna have the exynos 5 series chip. The Note 2 doesn’t have that. The S4 will have a better cpu and gpu, and most likely a 1080p SAMOLED screen, with a potential rumor of it being unbreakable, though that one is out there in terms of viability. It will probably be like every other phone that is coming out now though. 5″ screen quad core cpu, and some sort of newer better gpu. I just hope they keep the removable battery and storage.
I wasn’t saying necessarily the same chip just more so…. its going to be more like that of a Note 2
Actually I think most of those are the really cheap tablets that you see here and there at discount marts and such. As even the cheap tablets move to starting at 4.0 we’ll see a shift. But till the current inventory of those low-end tablets run out we’ll see some resistance to a share decline for Froyo and Eclair.
Even nowadays those cheap tablets are running at least 2.2 froyo this is just pitiful.
Well… saying fragmentation won’t die because of the skins is just wrong. I heard the HTC G2 is still on Gingerbread. =.S
Maybe that’s because the Desire Z, it’s cousin, runs HTC Sense. Oh well. Glad people get to enjoy ICS. I sure love it.
I’m running JellyVerse for my Epic 4G Touch and I have to say that JB TouchWiz is LOVELY!! I’m so mad I don’t have this officially yet. LoL!! Now I see why people complain about not having updates. =.P
It’s a shame TW got such a bad rap (deserved) back in the 3.0 days. TW 4 and above has truly been a joy to use and it seems to keep getting better.
The only reason I actually bought my G’Nex when I did was because the SII wasn’t sold on VZW and I was hoping someone would eventually port TW.
Ah well…silly me.
Don’t expect it on the Straight Talk TracFone Samsung Galaxy SII. The phone will never be updated TracFone told me.
I’m still running Gingerbread on my Galaxy S 2. I would like to see it updated.
HTC Thunderbolt says hello >.<
I’m sure jelly bean is getting ahead partially because there are people that have more than one Jellybean device (like myself). Of course, some OEMs are kind enough to upgrade their handsets. Only some are though…
Would cyanogenmod count as ICS/ jellybean
That. was fast.
Dern Gingerbread!
didn’t android 4.0 come out in 2011?
Dec 2011.
like I said in a previous post this isn’t a fair chart, they are counting every android device including the old, for instance if we count every iPhone, only the 5, 4s and 4 received the update , the rest of the iphones don’t so only 50% updated to the newest version not including all the people that haven’t downloaded it or all the people that don’t even know their is a new version (like your grandma). technically pretty much every high or mid end device even some low end devices since 2011 have received the update(unless you have an lg device than you have a better chance of finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow) .
LG’s Spectrum (The original) is running LG’s ICS. Has been for a few months now.
Where’s my pot of Gold?
would cyanogenmod count as ICS/ jellybean
ICS is Android 3.0. Jelly Bean is on 10% of devices, not 40%.
So…what are you smoking?
You are wrong on your version number:
Honeycomb = 3.1 and 3.2
ICS = 4.0.x
That is what I get for writing a post late at night after some beers! Thanks for setting me straight guys.
4.0 and 4.1 both are almost stable… Time to move towards 4.2 now
At least this means developers will be developing for Gingerbread and further up rather than starting to support Froyo onward.
Sadly Gingerbread will not be reduced to less than 10% of the android market for a very long time.
Freakin awesome!!! One day everyone will will taste the Key Lime Pie….