The Android developer website hosts a distribution dashboard that details the adoption of Google’s cellular running machine variations. With over 2 billion energetic Android gadgets accessible, Google updates a monthly cadence that is beneficial information. But Google stopped updating the web page final year — nowadays marks the six-month mark.
We’ve reached out to Google multiple instances in the past half a year. In January, Google informed us that the dashboard was undergoing website protection and that we’d listen lower back while it’s constant. In April, the corporation declined to comment.
This record is specifically beneficial to absolutely everyone who needs to make decisions concerning Android. It’s noticeably valuable to understand how extensively (or narrowly) an Android model — or, more importantly, an API degree — has been adopted.
The remaining extensive milestone in Android adoption land turned into in July, while Android Oreo exceeded 10% adoption. In August, Google started rolling out its successor, Android Pie. The distribution numbers have been updated for the last time on October 26. Here are the numbers from that day (note that Android Pie is lacking):
- Android eight.Zero/8.1 Oreo (August 2017, December 2017): 21.Five%
- Android 7.0/7.1 Nougat (August 2016, October 2016): 28.2%
- Android 6.Zero Marshmallow (October 2015): 21.3%
- Android five.Zero/five.1 Lollipop (November 2014, March 2015): 17.Nine%
- Android four.Four KitKat (October 2013): 7.6%
- Android 4.1/four.2/4.3 Jelly Bean (July 2012, November 2012, and July 2013): three.Zero%
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (December 2011): zero.Three%
- Android 2.Three Gingerbread (December 2010): zero.2%
In early December, a small be aware was delivered below the chart: “(replace coming quickly: information feed underneath upkeep).” More than 4 months have passed for the reason that. Google either has an unusual definition of “quickly” or something else is amiss. Suppose we cross by ancient developments, Android nine. Zero Pie today ought to have someplace just below 10% of the, ahem, pie. Maybe it’s greater; perhaps it’s less. We don’t recognize, because Google is refusing to replace the data.
The distribution dashboard is on the Android builder’s internet site. If you’re a developer, the best news right here is that you may get admission to your own distribution statistics inside the Google Play Console. And the one’s statistics are plenty extra granular, letting you clear out using now not simply using Android model, but also via device, u . S . A ., language, app version, and carrier. But that information is best for the gadgets on which customers are running your app. If you want a broader picture, you’re out of a good fortune.
Faster Android updates?
Google releases major Android versions on an annual foundation. Android customers hope their telephones get up to date earlier than they have before with every new launch. Except for Pixel telephones — and Essential, which sarcastically is not making telephones anymore — the wait is excruciatingly long. I’m speakme between two and 8 months if the update arrives at all.
Google has attempted to each trade the significance of the yearly updates and accelerate their arrival. With Android ICS, the agency launched Google Play Services, which uses to push various features and enhancements to Android gadgets without requiring a full running device replacement. With Android Nougat, the agency started releasing month-to-month security updates. With Android Oreo, Google brought Project Treble, which modularized the cell running device to be far less complicated to update. Android Q guarantees its own update improvements.
Since Android Pie is the foremost launch that succeeds Android Oreo, the real check for Google’s present-day try to improve updates. Every device that shipped with Project Treble enabled had the capability to get Android Pie quickly. Phone producers and vendors, of course, nonetheless had to play ball, but from a technical angle, this was the very best Android replacement yet.
Predecessors Android Nougat and Android Oreo took five months to skip 1% adoption and 10 months to pass 10%. Those are low bars, but we don’t even recognize if Android Pie met them because Google has cut off the records.
Google needs to restore this.
The hassle here is twofold. Google hasn’t updated the numbers, and it hasn’t stated why. Maintenance doesn’t take months for something that used to be up to date month-to-month. Google can’t live quite approximately this for all time. Every week that goes by, the statistics will become even extra vain. Thankfully, Google I/O 2019, the agency’s biggest developer event of the year, is best two weeks away.
