By New platform figures have eeked out of Google today. According to their latest two-week ping leading up to November 1st, 77% of all Android phones run Android 2.1 or Android 2.2 (and Android 2.3, I suppose.) Specifically, 40.8% are running 2.1, and 36.2% are on 2.2. That still leaves 23% of phones on Android 1.6 or lower, but at least that number is getting smaller as each month goes by. 15% are on Android 1.6 while only 7.9 are on Android 1.5. With a majority of Motorola MOTOBLUR device owners around the world eventually being stepped up to 2.1, we don’t expect to see Android 1.5 lingering around too much longer. Google for the chart.
1.5 was obsolete the second 1.6 was released.
Not really @#1.
1.6 was a pointless intermediary between 1.5 and 2.1, it should never have been released.
What bugs me is those numbers don’t get down, because people update to 2.x, but because new people buy 2.x phones. I’d really like to see absolute numbers over the years how they progress.
That really is the big plus of Apple phones. All of them get updates for a long time.
I wish my Vibrant was running 2.2
If you look on the historical chart, the introduction of 2.2 suggests that Google has gotten better — actually if you look at all of them, but especially 2.2 — at pushing out the latest software into the distribution pie chart even through carrier obstacle courses (or by enticing people to buy newer phones, but then in that case they may be doing a better job in getting OEMs and whoever to use the latest distro either actively over the phone or naturally by making something better that the OEMs know the masses want).
That seems to be the trend and I’d be surprised if Gingerbread didn’t make an even more swift penetration than Froyo has.
I also would wager that Android users, more than any other group, thirst for updates (in addition to knowing such things exist) and some of that could be attributed to the smash hit of new features Google manages to come up with each time, hitting XDA and CM’s site for the latest rather than waiting for an OTA trickle, whereas the iphone crowd plugs in their phone and iTunes says Hey we got an update, you want the update? and they just naturally click Update now in order to get it to stop nagging them in the future but without having any idea, before or after the update is installed, that things are better on their phone. Speaking in general.
Not really @G8D
1.6 gave quite a few boosts that definitely helped such as the new market and Google Navigation
someone should remind rogers that 1.5 is almost gone.. those are probably all rogers Canada cell phones on 1.5 still that rogers refuses to update.
I agree with Mathias, 1.5 isn’t going down in number as quickly as the chart suggest it’s just that 2.x is increasing faster. I bet the actual number of 1.x’s has gone down only a little.
Come on manufacturers/networks supply OTA updates for older handsets and create some real customer loyalty for both Android and yourselves!
I don’t care what anybody says, this is a problem. That will sooner or later hurt Android’s success. Of course it isnt affecting it now, but I think it hurts the overall quality of the brand.
When the Cliq and Cliq XT get 2.1, we can practically close the book on 1.5. And before any haters open their mouths, eclair is coming for those devices (the brief soak release for the Cliq proves it). That and, (NDA).
My Cliq XT and its brother models are still running on 1.5 with a update to 2.1 maybe sometime in the future, If I had waited a month, I could have gotten some of those newer entry level phones with 2.1 and 2.2 on it….. Thanks T Mobile !!!!
google should do the same thing as microsoft and prohibit manufacturers from putting their own skins on top of the OS to fix this
@Mathias
Do Apple’s phones really get updates for a long time? Even if so, does Apple update more often than once per year? Can an iPhone “2” run iOS 4? From what I’ve read an iPhone 3 “upgraded” to iOS 4 becomes so slow as to force you into a hardware upgrade. An Android phone upgraded to Froyo 2.2 becomes significantly faster. I hope Apple users are happy with their choice, but I am unconvinced that everything is all roses and happiness.
@DannyB
The iPhone 3G can be upgraded to iOS 4, but it’s also a THREE year old device. Three years is massive in tech years, the hardware difference alone is not even comparable. This is even more astonishing when you consider the current infancy/acceleration of mobile tech.
I could see the Nexus One getting updates for a long time but it also has specs of 1GHz and 512MB or RAM. A 10 year old PC has specs like that and could also be updated to Windows 7. The iPhone 3G has what? A crap mobile CPU and 128MB or RAM? It’s a whole different story; yet Apple still decided to upgrade it.
@Gee and I’m sure Apple made that decision because they knew of the backlash that would happen otherwise, people would bitch and moan about being forced to upgrade their phone. I’m sure it had little to do with technical reasons and / or “ethical” reasons (Let’s support everyone!), but more for political reasons.
-B
I don’t care who runs what because I made a smart decision and because of that I will be soon running 2.3
I was lucky enough to get the recent 2.1 upgrade for my Motorola Cliq. The weblink they used for the 2,000 Cliq invitees was exposed for a few hours before it was shutdown. I got in, downloaded the update, and its now rockin on my Cliq. It’s like a whole new phone! So happy I can download the apps I’ve been wanting.
I’m still waiting for mt3g 1.6 to update to 2.2. I don’t think is going to happen.
@Gee The phones on 1.5 & 1.6 are 3 year old hardware as well.
I have a backflip, (it was the only android on at&t when i got it, and they have been promising 2.1 since summer but still havent delivered. Moral of the story, DONT GET LOWER-END MOTOROLA. They do not care about you!
Ive been running 2.3 for two months now
awesome htc ad blocking all the comments cause you guys coded it wrong…nice
hola muy interesante