Unless you count the latest version finally getting into double digits, the Android distribution numbers for July 2017 aren't anything worth celebrating.
Here's the full breakdown:
These are the percentage point changes from last month:
- Nougat (11.5%): +2%
- Marshmallow (31.8%): -0.6%
- Lollipop (30.1%) -0.7%
- KitKat (17.1%): -1%
- Jelly Bean (9%): -0.7%
- Ice Cream Sandwich (0.7%): -0.1%
- Gingerbread (0.7%): -0.1%
Although Nougat isn't rising at a rapid pace, the platform as a whole is on the right path. Every version of Android except the most recent one has fallen. Nougat was the only one to experience growth from last month, which tells us people are either ditching old devices or getting software updates. It's more likely that people are just upgrading their hardware as software updates on Android continues to be a big problem.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, unfortunately, still gets to hold bragging rights. Plenty of Android devices around the world are outdated as iOS 10 is installed on 86% of Apple's devices. Google plans to solve fragmentation with Project Treble by letting partners simply plug their own software into Android.
Disappointment still surrounds Nougat, however, because it sits behind Marshmallow's status from July of last year. While Nougat is currently installed on 11.5% of all Android devices, Marshmallow was above 13% in the same month for 2016. Adoption hasn't been steady. Marshmallow made its way to high-end, mid-range, and low-end hardware. Nougat appears to only be on devices that are entirely new or are high-end and get a software update.
Source: Android Developers
