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It’s that time again for another update to Google’s Android distribution numbers. Last time we scanned the numbers, Nougat was making steady strides as more and more OEMs deliver updates to users.
We’ve gone from 4.9% to 7.1% for April to May. Fast forward to today, and that number is now at a cool 9.5%. It’s still leagues away from Marshmallow and Lollipop’s dominance, but we think we’re getting used to that sad fact by now.
Ironically, this update comes a day after Apple tried to take a dig at Android’s install rate during their WWDC keynote, noting that while a vast majority of Apple users get the latest version of iOS right away, most of the Android world is still waiting on the latest version.
That’s fine, though, because Google has taken more and more steps to level the playing field. We’ve seen progressive efforts to uncouple features from the core OS and introduce them as apps, and their next goal will be to rework the framework in such a way that timely updates can be delivered by OEMs without them having to test entirely new code each and every time.
Either way, even Android users on older versions of the OS continue to get new features by way of Google Play Services and the Google Play Store, and for those features they can’t? Well, you’ll just have to keep pressing your carrier or OEM, or upgrade to something fresh (or to a phone that you know will get all the latest goods fast).
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