Lollipop now running on 18.1 percent of active Android devices

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

After skipping the month of July, Google is back in August with the latest distribution numbers for each version of Android. The numbers show that Android Lollipop is now on 18.1 percent of devices, making the jump from 12.4 percent when distribution numbers were last reported in June. Interestingly, KitKat is now on 39.3 percent, marking a tiny increase from 39.2 percent when numbers were last reported. Jelly Bean took a slight dive, making up 33.6 percent of installs, down from 37.4 percent in June.

August version numbers

Rounding things out, Ice Cream Sandwich now makes up 4.1 percent of installs, Gingerbread is down from 5.6 percent to 4.6 percent, and Froyo is still hanging on for dear life with 0.3 percent. Again, keep in mind that Google skipped reporting on version numbers in July, so there's two months worth of change to account for with these numbers.

Source: Google

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster
77 Comments
  • Kind of sad that almost 2 year old jelly bean still has 33%, shows the manufacturers still don't care about updates. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Or that people are buying/keeping old phones and purchasing cheap Chinese phones without caring about the version. Posted via the Android Central App
  • I made a prediction a while back that LP would only get to about 20% before M came out, seems right on track. Still don't see why OEM's can't make all their features into apps for exclusive devices, and run vanilla android on their devices. Think they would save millions letting google do all the work with updates. And if their apps become widely popular they could sell them for profit as well.
  • I don't understand why Google didn't design (or redesign) the OS so that was the defacto behavior. Its clear with the various Google Play Services updates and the like that this is the ideal way to go for solving these sorts of problems yet we're still in an OS land where you have to do a full OS upgrade. For Apple that may work because that is a different ecosystem and way for updating devices, but at this point Google should have removed much of the core into upgradable bits that could be upgraded 'whenever'. There seems to be a flaw in the strategy of how the core of the OS and its dependent subsystems are built in light of the reality of the marketplace that Android devices and OEMs operate in.
  • Lollipop is just a laggy battery draining mess. I wished I didn't update my HTC One_M8.
  • Everything is great for me on my Nexus 5 on 5.1.1, it's fast smooth and gets really good battery life with no memory leak since it was fixed in 5.1.1.
  • I have the Sprint M8, it's on 5.0.2 and it was better in KK. LL didn't get fixed until 5.1, imho.
  • +1 LG G2
    Nexus 5
  • I'd love to have your n5 then, mine is a complete joke. Lollipop has turned my phone into an unusable mess. Posted via Android Central App
  • Same with me on the Nexus 7 2013. Everything is great. Posted via the Android Central App
  • My 2013 Nexus 7 is also running great on Lollipop 5.1.1. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Everything for me is great as well on my rooted M8 running CM 12 5.1.1. Mine runs great but the average user shouldn't have to root their phone to get it working well.
  • rooting isn't required to flash roms.
  • Huh??? Posted via Android Central App
  • You don't have to root your device in order to flash any kind of rom.
  • It's true you just need an unlocked bootloader. Which nexus devices have. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Rooting is a nice bonus to have, though.
  • Lollipop works great for me. The Magenta Network is running strong.
  • HTC one m8 on cyanogenmod is amazing. But I personally didn't have any problems with 5.0 and sense on my T-Mobile HTC One m8 Posted via the Android Central App
  • When will it be to 18.2% of devices? The Magenta Network is running strong.
  • it already is.that's the statistics...
  • What about the sedentary devices? Is this just more fat shaming?
  • It's "haven't visited the Play Store in 30 days" shaming.
  • The Z3 Compact in my desk drawer is Healthy at Every Login Frequency.
  • And yet the only version that's worth a shit so far is 5.1.1 :(
  • Truuuuuuuuuu Posted from my Nexus 6
  • The sad part is that of that 18% total, over 15% are not on 5.1, which is the final stable version that runs pretty nice. That is a LOT of devices having terrible memory management and constant restarting issues to clear it up. Like my new LG G2 that is on 5.0.2, with constant lag and memory leaks. It needed 5.1 months ago!
  • Not necessarily true. Sony fixed the memory leak issues in 5.0.1 Posted via the Android Central App
  • So have others with 5.0.1 including Samsung, at the cost of overly aggressive RAM management by killing background apps way too quickly. That's a serious issue in its own right
  • Couldn't agree more!
  • This is so true. my G2 is ok but definitely not as good on Lollipop as it was before the update. Battery life is not as good and lag has appeared both of which were nonexistent prior to the Lollipop update. A reboot does wonders but I shouldn't have to do that. Hopefully LG will get another update out to bring the G2 up the the current version. Then we have to start the are we going to get "M" rant? From my lollipopped rooted LG G2
  • 5.1.1 will fix everything on the G2 phones if the carriers + LG ever release it Posted via the Android Central App
  • Agreed. If they don't get an update out, it's custom ROM time for me. From my lollipopped rooted LG G2
  • amazing numbers from an OS that was released last year
  • Dang Froyo. Can't wait till it finally disappears
  • Froyo? Wow. Posted via the Android Central App
  • May be my IT background, but can't help but think of Lollipop, especially anything 5.0.x, as Windows Vista; actually the original release of Windows 8 is probably more apt. As in too many over-engineered features and bugs that are actually a detriment to the OS. (Subsequent versions fix that like Windows 8.1) In comparison KitKat is like Windows 7, tried and true to its core. And Jelly Bean is like Windows XP, the best OS overall ever!
  • As someone actually in IT, people like you still to this day singing the praises of a downright ancient OS, ARE the problem with modern cybersecurity.
  • How am I the problem when I'm in IT and KNOW ways to protect myself even when using an "ancient" OS (it's quite an assumption that I"m doing so anymore anyway. FYI, I'm not. Currently using Windows 8.1 on a Surface Pro 3 and Windows 7 on an old Dell laptop). Anyway, it's not like I'm going around pushing people to use these older OS's.... My post was simply to point out how various Android OS's can equate to Windows versions. It was NOTHING about security!
  • Nice parrallels! Posted via Android Central App
  • And before lollipop hits 20% another Android OS will be released. Just doesn't make sense why they have so many different versions. And depending on your phone and carrier you have a different built. Posted via the Android Central App
  • The best feature I like in lollipop is the ability to copy or write files to sd card without rooting your phone.
  • Lollipop is actually worst for me. KitKat never gave me issues with battery life and RAM before I updated to Lollipop. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Yep.
    I accidentally clicked on "update now" and after install and factory reset my phone just didn't work as well and battery was diminished. I still gave it a try for 2 weeks and then decided to get rid of it. I bought another one (Moto X 2014) in best buy, since I knew their whole stock is still on KK and now I'm at peace again :) via AC App
    on VZW Moto X 2014/2013 DE/N7
  • Lollipop is the worst upgrade in last couple years. Hope M is better.
  • Android 5.1.1 is the better version Posted via the Android Central App
  • Not enough. Still lags and drains the battery more. via AC App
    on VZW Moto X 2014/2013 DE/N7
  • Lollipop has been the smoothest by far for me. 5.1 came on my phone though. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Wish I could get 5.1.1 on my verizon GS6. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Is it slow Posted via the Android Central App
  • Sprint in Orlando Florida updated my Note 4 to Lollipop 5.1.1 tonight! Posted via the Android Central App
  • Just waiting for Android M to hit my Sprint Note 4 in Q1 of 2016...! LG G2
    GSIII
    Galaxy Note 4
    (The Sprint Lover)
  • LG needs to push Lollipop to the LG G Pad WiFi tablet!!! Posted via the Android Central App
  • Since no one else has said it... Die, Gingerbread, die!
  • 5.1.1. is the best version of Android ever. Posted via the Android Central App
  • My battery lasts all day, easily. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Active 3ft underwater. Posted via the Android Central App
  • All thanx to Samsung!
  • most thanks to it. it's not the only company around.
  • That's because they will not release it to the other 61.6 % of note 4 users Posted via the Android Central App
  • Hardware and firmware are fashioned with an operating system in mind, that being the one most current at the time.
    Therefore it seems reasonable that the best operating system for that particular phone will always remain that particular operating system. The next major iteration is bound to make additional demands which may or may not be efficiently handled by the "older" hardware. Posted via Android Central App
  • 1 Posted via the Android Central App
  • My Moto G 4G 2nd Gen is 5.0.2 it came with it preloaded with. Honestly I wish I knew when 5.1.1 will roll out internationally to the Moto G 4G 2nd Gen. Still even on 5.0.2 Lollipop my phone still runs great. Posted via the Android Central App on my Moto G 4G 2nd Gen
  • Why is it so hard to get an update to the latest version when all the phones run the almost the same chips? Qualcomm or mtk. Is it because of the cameras or what? It puzzles me... Posted via the Android Central App
  • There are many reasons. First, even though the chips may be similar, you still have different screens, sensors, band configurations, etc. All that has to be taken into account. Second, the manufacturers want to update their launchers, apps, etc. so they work with the new version. On top of that, carriers want their own customizations baked in. Finally, and most importantly, manufacturers and carriers don't really want that phone you've already bought to keep getting updates for too long. First, creating updates costs money, with no reward for them if the phone is out of production, since they won't be selling new ones. Second, allowing a phone to keep getting updates could be a disincentive for people to buy new ones. They'll update it just long enough so that you don't regret buying it but not for so long that you'll keep it instead of buying that shiny new model they're selling now.
  • Whilst all the reasons you give are completely true, it doesn't make them right, or acceptable. In terms of the technical issues - I don't buy it - what is wrong with conforming to a set of standards. For me, a driver for a component should work from one version of the OS to the next, unless there are specific major changes that break that model (which should only happen once in a generation). I look at this from a desktop OS perspective. Generally, drivers will work across many OS revisions (e.g. Win Vista, 7, 8, 10). If you bought a machine with Windows 7 (and possibly older) then you can expect it to work with 8 & 10. Same with Linux. Why does Android have to be so troublesome in this regard? Why can't Samsung use more common parts to achieve better compatibility? The same goes for the rest of them. The custom rom community have shown that the handsets are capable but it shouldn't be such hard work. Your point about creating updates costing money is the biggest issue I have with the Android vendors. If software is not important to them, just sell us unlocked, open handsets and we'll put on an OS ourselves. If software is an important part of attracting customers, then you better set aside enough money to support your kit for long enough. Right now, the support given to handsets is pretty poor from all vendors. The vast majority of handsets are sold on 2 year contracts in Europe & USA so I believe that should be the target. If vendors don't want to do this, then why continue to sell them 2 years on? We as customers should not put up with this - we have the purchasing power, and those who want to short change us are destined for the scrapheap. As much as I hate Apple, they do a good job of keeping their customers happy (even when ripping them off!). Older handsets get updates for a few years and even when features are stripped out, it keeps owners loyal to Apple and more likely to purchase new kit in the future.
  • Wonder how these numbers compare to the iOS? Posted via the Android Central App
  • What do you mean? They get instant update on all phones when it is released, like it should be. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Easy to do when you only have one manufacturer and spec.
  • Another day, another reminder that VZW still hasn't released it for the Moto X 2013.
  • Or for the VZW Moto G 2013. Though Motorola is supposedly working on it for the first gen G (per David S on G+), he obviously has no Verizon related info on the XT1028. As I said earlier, I will wait until they get it right (presumably 5.1.1) and I have no problem staying on KitKat 4.4.4 until then.
  • Someone is hanging on to Froyo, represent. Posted via the Android Central App
  • ...and of those, more than half of the older devices who have installed the OTA 'upgrade' have become a shadow of their former selves - if not bricking outright, becoming unstable and sluggish enough to lose any regular usability...
  • How many of them threw their devices at the wall in frustration after the update? Lollipop ruined my Nexus 7 and the MotoG (1st gen). I believe the reason Verizon's not releasing Lollipop for US customers for MotoG is precisely how useless it makes the devices post udpate.
  • *COUGH* Pathetic.
  • Yes, more and more people are getting shit installed in their devices.
  • For me, Lollipop was a buggy, battery draining mess. Downgraded my S4 to Kitkat and happy with the result. I really hope that Android M is focused more on battery life rather than killing it like Lollipop. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Lollipop updates should come with a warning. Lollipop bricked my Nexus 7 so I'm not going to risk the same thing happening to my MeMo Pad 7. I just wish there was a way to get rid of the reminder so I don't accidentally upgrade and ruin another tablet.