Android Marshmallow is on just 0.5% of all Android devices, Lollipop nearly 30%
The cycle continues, folks. As new Android versions are released we’re often curious to see how soon they can show up on the periodic Android Distribution update Google dishes out. Marshmallow first made its appearance in last month’s addition, debuting with a 0.3% share of the pie.
So, where does it end up in the December update? Just a hair higher, with the OS only able to find itself on 0.5% of all devices which connect to Google Play. That’s a pretty slim number, but it’s important to remember that Android 6.0 Marshmallow is still very young, and most major phones won’t get the goods until we head into the new year.
You need only look toward Lollipop as an example: that particular version debuted with similar numbers, but it’s now commanding 29.5% of the share a year later. That said, Lollipop isn’t dominating the charts — that honor goes to KitKat, which became one of the most highly adopted OS versions year-to-year aside from its predecessor Jelly Bean.
Speaking of which, Jelly Bean refuses to die as it’s still sitting on nearly 27% of devices. That’s not totally bad — many new apps and features are still supported, but it’s about time it takes a backseat to the new guys on the block. We don’t foresee it completely dying off anytime soon, though, because even Gingerbread and Froyo are still kicking around at 3.4% and 0.2%, respectively. Check out the full breakdown of numbers (and more statistics such as screen sizes and OpenGL versions) right here.