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Android 4.4, or KitKat, is having a tough time catching up to its predecessor, new data from the Android Developers page shows.
During the seven-day period ended May 1, Android 4.1 – 4.3 (Jelly Bean) owned a combined 60.8 percent market share around the world, easily besting KitKat’s 8.5 percent share. Google’s Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is still clinging to 13.4 percent of the space, according to the Developers page, and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) has 16.2 percent share of all devices running Android.
Google provides periodic updates on market share across Android devices. The company’s findings are perhaps no surprise to those who have been monitoring Android for quite some time. Since its launch, Google has been trying to handle the so-called fragmentation issue, where many devices are running older versions of its software. Google has been making it easier for companies to update their devices’ Android versions, but handset makers have been slow to actually do so.
In many cases in the Android space, customers have little or no choice what version of the operating system they can use. It all comes down to whether carriers and device makers support the upgrade and make it available. Judging by the spread of market share, the choice isn’t nearly as broad as it should be.
CNET has contacted Google for comment. We will update this story when we have more information.
