Updated Android version numbers show KitKat gaining significant ground
Despite Apple trying their hardest to ridicule Android’s adoption rate when it comes to new versions of Android, Google has updated their platform distribution numbers for the seven-day period ending June 4th, 2014. The numbers are quite typical, with Jelly Bean still commanding a lead of 58.4%.
KitKat did see a decent rise this month, though, as it’s sitting at 13.6%. This is compared to 5.3% just two months ago which is progress Google can be proud of. Of course, this (thankfully) comes at the expense of the demise of Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich, which are at 14.9% and 12.3%, respectively.
It’s unfortunate that so many people have to be stuck on older versions of Android, but the reality is that there are tons of folks out there who buy phones and can’t afford to upgrade them every year. Those phones eventually hit a road block in terms of carrier and OEM support, and they’re pretty much stuck there until they do something about it.
The good news is that Google has clearly displayed a shift in their software development process, opting to decouple many apps from the core Android experience and bring new features by way of app updates instead of leaving the heavy lifting to the firmware. Even folks on Gingerbread are seeing new features here and there (though not nearly as many new features as folks on Android 4.0+).
It has inspired OEMs like HTC and Motorola to do the same, and we’re sure more will hop on board once they see the benefits of releasing many system components in the Google Play Store instead of making people wait for lengthy carrier approvals and OTA updates. Head to the source link for the full breakdown.
[via Android Developers]