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Nicole Cozma/CNET
Lollipop continues to chomp its way up the Android food chain.
Released Tuesday, the latest update of Google’s Android Developers Dashboard shows a collective share of 9.7 percent for Android 5.0 and 5.1 — both otherwise known as Lollipop.
That percentage was calculated by tracking all of the Android devices that hit the Google Play store during the seven-day period ending Monday.
The latest share of almost 10 percent is a healthy rise from the 5.4 percent seen in early April and the 3 percent recorded in early March. Google launched Android Lollipop in November, but many device makers and carriers have been slow to roll it out. Even Google ran into problems when pushing Lollipop onto certain Nexus devices due to technical issues. But the new number is a promising sign that the industry is starting to catch up.
Android 5.0 Lollipop added several new features, including a new look dubbed Material Design, notifications on the lock screen and smarter multitasking. On March 9, Google unveiled Android 5.1, which addressed some technical issues with 5.0 and introduced High Definition voice calling and better security.
Being the new kid on the block, Lollipop still pales in comparison with its predecessors in terms of market share. With device makers and carriers both involved in testing and rollout, a new version of Android always takes time before it can reach a majority of devices.
Android KitKat is the current champ, with a market share of 39.8 percent, holding its lead over Jelly Bean with a share of 39.2 percent. Previous Android versions such as Ice Cream Sandwich and Gingerbread weighed in with shares of 5.3 percent and 5.7 percent, collectively. Even Froyo is still on the charts with a 0.3 percent cut of the action. Some older Android devices are incapable of running the latest OS and so typically remain stuck with their original version.
Google did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.
