Android 11 has 10 times more users than Google's latest version

[Shawn Knight]

In a nutshell: Google's struggles with Android fragmentation are well documented and date back more than a decade. The subject hasn't come up in a while, however, naturally leading some to believe that the issue has gradually resolved itself. It turns out that's not the case.

According to the latest Android distribution figures, Android 17 – the latest version of the mobile OS – is installed on just 0.9% of devices worldwide. Android 16 owns the lion's share of distribution at 25.4%, followed by Android 15 with a 14.7% stake. Android 13, which shipped way back in the summer of 2022, is still installed on 11.8% of devices, while 9.6% of users are clinging to Android 12.

For comparison, around 15% of Apple mobile users are running a version of iOS 27 and nearly half are using a variant of iOS 26, according to StatCounter.

Why the disparity between Android and iOS adoption, you ask? Well, it largely comes down to distribution and who controls what.

With iOS, Apple develops its hardware and software under a single roof. This means Cupertino controls when new updates go out and what devices can get them. Over at Google, when a new version of Android is ready, it gets sent out to device partners that often like to spend additional time applying tweaks in the form of overlays and skins. Customizing the OS is a great way to differentiate your product from others on the market, but also burns the clock. By the time it's ready, some customers may have already moved on to the latest and greatest from another manufacturer.

Running an outdated operating system is a bad idea for a number of reasons. In addition to not having access to the latest features and optimizations, older OSes are more likely to suffer from security issues. And depending on the age of the build, it may no longer be eligible for patches from the manufacturer.

What version of Android or iOS are you running on your personal device?

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Android 11 has 10 times more users than Google's latest version

 

[The Talking Tech]

"Android 13, which shipped way back in the summer of 2022"

Way back?...it has only been 4 years...

a phone for most people it's just a phone with a convenience of opening a shopping app.

My phone from "way back in 2022" still works perfectly fine.

Just because some people are feeding their Fears Of Missing Out and changing phones quicker than they can pay their bills, it doesn't mean everyone should do the same.

 

[LordVile95]

Issue is devices, particularly cheaper ones, will never get more that a few full OS updates.

 

[Puiu]

People still don't get that this is intentional?

 

[Theinsanegamer]

People still don't get that this is intentional?

People still buy cheap crap and expect a premium experience? Whhaaaaa?

"Android 13, which shipped way back in the summer of 2022"

Way back?...it has only been 4 years...

a phone for most people it's just a phone with a convenience of opening a shopping app.

My phone from "way back in 2022" still works perfectly fine.

Just because some people are feeding their Fears Of Missing Out and changing phones quicker than they can pay their bills, it doesn't mean everyone should do the same.

If you think wanting security updates is FOMO I can only weep for your bank accounts future.

 

[The Talking Tech]

People still buy cheap crap and expect a premium experience? Whhaaaaa?
If you think wanting security updates is FOMO I can only weep for your bank accounts future.

So I must be very good with security or most people are too dumb with their phones because all I need is to be aware of the obvious.

Besides if a hacker is truly after you that hacker is going to get what he wants regardless of how knew your equipment is...BINANCE can tell you all about it.

 

[LordVile95]

People still don't get that this is intentional?

Not really. Google would rather the most recent OS be more common. Issue is low end hardware and 3rd parties taking forever to roll out updates.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

So I must be very good with security or most people are too dumb with their phones because all I need is to be aware of the obvious.

Besides if a hacker is truly after you that hacker is going to get what he wants regardless of how knew your equipment is...BINANCE can tell you all about it.

Clicklessmalware is a thing and becoming more common, and ad servers are targeted constantly for malware Injection.

"It's always been fine when I do it so it's not a problem" is the kind of statement that gets you a OSHA writeup in the workplace.

Not really. Google would rather the most recent OS be more common. Issue is low end hardware and 3rd parties taking forever to roll out updates.

Well if you want updates you have to pay enough for them to be supported. Verifying and deploying them isn't free after all.

But if you do that people bemoan having to pay more then a hay penny for their electronic communication devices.

You get what you pay for.

 

[LordVile95]

Clicklessmalware is a thing and becoming more common, and ad servers are targeted constantly for malware Injection.

"It's always been fine when I do it so it's not a problem" is the kind of statement that gets you a OSHA writeup in the workplace.
Well if you want updates you have to pay enough for them to be supported. Verifying and deploying them isn't free after all.

But if you do that people bemoan having to pay more then a hay penny for their electronic communication devices.

You get what you pay for.

The lower end are all subsidised with ads so they’re likely more profitable