New distribution data of Android: fragmentation is still real

Practically since the creation of Android, the fragmentation has been a constant problem for the various manufacturers. The updates have never been as fluid as in other operating systems, mobile or desktop, and the developers have had to deal with several simultaneous versions, which made it incompatible with many of the new features with the terminals of old.

Along the maturation of Android, Google has been improving this aspect, and in the last two years we have seen the number of terminals updated quickly has grown. In spite of this fragmentation still seemed to be a problem, but we didn’t know since a year ago Google stopped publishing the records of distribution of Android.

Have now returned to do so, but only to the developers through Android Studio.

The fragmentation is still real

In XDA Developers have created a table that is distributed by lesser versions of Android, differentiating for example the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. We have simplified by focusing on the versions annual.

Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich”	0.2%
Android 4.1 – 4.2 – 4.3 “Jelly Bean”	1.7%
Android 4.4 “KitKat”	4%
Android 5 “Lollipop”	9.2%
Android 6 “Marshmallow”	11.2%
Android 7 “Nougat”	12.9%
Android 8 “Oreo”	21.3%
Android 9 “Foot”	31.3%
Android 10	8.2%

Half a year after the official release of Android 10 less than 10 % of the terminals with access to the Google Play Store feature of this version of the system. At least, most of the devices are in a version quite current. Between Android-9 and Android 8 add up to more than 50 % of the total.

It is striking to see even more of 15 % of devices conversions with more than five years of age, corresponding to Android 5 or above. In fact, there are more models with Lollipop that Android 10.

It is clear that Google still has a lot to improve in this aspect, but at least we are glad to have returned to the figures that allow us to analyze on a monthly basis how changing the fragmentation in Android.

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