Android Distribution January 2017: Nougat remains under 1%, Froyo disappears

January 10, 2017

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android_figurine_standing_on_nougat

It's early January. What does that mean? It's also time for us to dive into the Android distribution numbers. The results, as usual, are mixed with good and bad parts.

Here's the diagram for January 2017:

These are the percentage point changes:

Nougat: +0.3%
Marshmallow: +3.3%
Lollipop: -0.6%
KitKat: -1.4%
Jelly Bean: -1.2%
Ice Cream Sandwich: -0.1%
Gingerbread: -0.2%

Gone from the list is Froyo, which won't have any realistic chance at returning. It launched in 2010 as an optimization-focused update. Despite not being important in appearance, this version actually meant a lot for Android's stability. Speed, memory, and performance were all improved. Somehow Froyo remained on at least 0.1% of the world's Android devices for more than six years. Now it's gone, and it won't be missed. But we'll still reminisce every time we consume a spoonful of frozen yogurt.

We're seeing positive changes across the board as Nougat and Marshmallow, the two most recent versions of Android, experiencing growth compared to last month. Combined, the duo is on over 30% of Android devices. The negative here, however, is Nougat not hitting a stride yet. Many people around the globe are still waiting for it to reach their devices.

Google should expect to see Nougat finally catch fire soon. Existing devices, like Samsung's 2016 flagship, are on the verge of getting it while new ones, such as the Galaxy S8, are sure to ship with Nougat already live.

Source: Android Developers

Justin Herrick Author

Born and raised in New Jersey, Justin is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University where he studied marketing with a focus on digital marketing. He's very talkative and enjoys discussing anything from technology and sports to video games and television. As for Justin's current device rotation, he carries around the Google Pixel and Nexus 9. In the rare case that his phone or tablet is not in his hand, he is either flicking through cards on his Moto 360 (2015) or typing away on the Microsoft Surface Book. Justin is patiently waiting for the day that Google replicates the Galaxy Nexus with modern day specifications.

1 comment

Madcat7777 says:

January 11, 2017 at 9:19 AM

Folks are buying their devices up front and keeping them longer these days. Gone are the subsidized phones. The hope is that phone manufacturers will update the phone responsibly. This may be a challenge with phone makers continuing to kick out new models every year. They make more money on the phone sales than they do updating the phones. A phone service life of 18 months seems ridiculous when you pay $600+ for a phone, hence the older software fragmentation. Until Android gains the ability to update without carrier influence (security updates at a minimum) fragmentation will continue.

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