Android 6.0 Marshmallow joins the double-digit distribution club

[Shawn Knight]

The latest version of Google’s mobile operating system is now part of the double-digit club. According to the Android Developer Dashboard, adoption of Android 6.0 Marshmallow now sits at 10.1 percent.

Marshmallow arrived in October 2015 but made very little progress early on. Five months in, the mobile OS had found its way to just 2.3 percent of Android devices in the wild. Adoption climbed to 4.6 percent in April before reaching 7.5 percent last month.

Android 5.x Lollipop remains the most popular version of Google’s mobile OS with a market share of 35.4 percent, down just 0.2 percent from a month earlier. KitKat comes in at a close second with an install base of 31.6 percent, nearly a full percentage point drop compared to May.

Android 4.x Jelly Bean is the only other version with a significant distribution at 18.9 percent, a 1.2 percent drop month-over-month. Froyo, Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich combined account for just four percent of the pie, down from 4.3 percent a month ago.

In summary, Marshmallow adoption increased by 2.6 percent while the install base of Android 2.x through Android 5.x fell by 2.6 percent. Taken at face value, the data suggests that users with dated smartphones are finally upgrading to new handsets that ship with Google’s latest operating system already installed.

In reality, it’s more of a coincidence really as other variables aren’t taken into consideration – like those that have upgraded to the developer preview of Android N – but it once again highlights Google’s struggle with fragmentation.

Speaking of Android N, Google surprised everyone back in March by launching the developer preview roughly three months ahead of schedule. This should allow the search giant to get the consumer version out this summer, a move it hopes will ultimately ramp up adoption.

Have you upgraded to Android 6.0 yet (or perhaps Android N)? If not, what's holding you back? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/65146-android-60-marshmallow-joins-double-digit-distribution-club.html

 

[Ascaris]

What's holding me back? Ohh, I dunno... could be the fact that the latest my device (Samsung tablet) offers is JB 4.2... 5 API versions out of date.

Yeah, I know the idea is that I'm supposed to go upgrade now, but this experience has had the opposite effect on me. I don't think I will be buying any more mobile devices that don't get supported for as long as I intend to keep using them. Why would I go buy another one so I can just have it happen again? Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Besides, I have a perfectly usable tablet right here, at least hardware-wise. It's a bit slow, but perfectly adequate for the limited amount I use it (I use my main PC more in a day than I do the tablet all week).

I guess I will stick to my old-fashioned PCs that still get 10 years of upgrades from the initial Windows release date, and indefinitely on Linux.

If things ever improve on the mobile side, I'll have to give it another thought.

 

[lripplinger]

Ummmmm, I haven't received Android 6.0 on my phone yet (currently running 5.0.1). It is extremely unlikely that I will get the new OS anyway. It is all reliant on the carrier, etc. if you will get it.

 

[Reehahs]

Ummmmm, I haven't received Android 6.0 on my phone yet (currently running 5.0.1). It is extremely unlikely that I will get the new OS anyway. It is all reliant on the carrier, etc. if you will get it.

Carriers should receive hefty fine for each device that is outdated during its warranty period on the basis of security.

 

[m-tec]

Ok, but how many devices shipped with 6.0 versus how many got upgraded to 6.0 would be a much better indication of the upgrade stats from manufacturers. By the time 7.0 is launched, 6.0 adoption after 1 year will still be under 15%, and that's a joke!
I'm sticking with Shield tablets, as they have everything I want spec and performance wise, plus they get regular updates (didn't know that when I bought it). My Tegra Note 7 that launched in November 2013 (Licenced by Nvidia) had had EVERY version of Android from 4.1 to 5.1, it might still get 6.0; not bad for £90! My S4 mini phone is stuck on 4.4.2, but it works fine for me.
Android will NEVER match ios for updates, even Nexus devices have a limited upgrade life, FACT. This seems quite clear and I accept it, I never said I like it. This is why I don't buy expensive devices in the first place.

 

[Axiarus]

Ok, but how many devices shipped with 6.0 versus how many got upgraded to 6.0 would be a much better indication of the upgrade stats from manufacturers. By the time 7.0 is launched, 6.0 adoption after 1 year will still be under 15%, and that's a joke!
I'm sticking with Shield tablets, as they have everything I want spec and performance wise, plus they get regular updates (didn't know that when I bought it). My Tegra Note 7 that launched in November 2013 (Licenced by Nvidia) had had EVERY version of Android from 4.1 to 5.1, it might still get 6.0; not bad for £90! My S4 mini phone is stuck on 4.4.2, but it works fine for me.
Android will NEVER match ios for updates, even Nexus devices have a limited upgrade life, FACT. This seems quite clear and I accept it, I never said I like it. This is why I don't buy expensive devices in the first place.

Hi, welcome to Cyanogenmod.

 

[lripplinger]

Carriers should receive hefty fine for each device that is outdated during its warranty period on the basis of security.

I think something has to be done to force the issue. My phone (the HTC One M8) should be getting the new OS. It is on HTC's list of phones they have said is compatible and tested. And yet I am being denied based on factors such as my local carrier, even though they have agreements and use Verizon's 4G towers anyway?

 

[Dubry2016]

I own a XiaoMi RedMi Note 2, which I use on the stock 5.02 Android (latest official MiUI 7 build). Even though I'm pretty sure it won't receive the 6.0 upgrade, with the MiUI 8 coming out of beta soon, I will be more thqn happy with getting the 5.1.1 update with it. Since I just recently bought it, and it is still under warranty, I still don't plan on using CM 13.1, since it is still UNOFFICAL.

On the side note I recently got the UMi Touch X which comes with Marshmallow out of the box, and I can say, I'm more than happy with it. It is amazing 2GB/16GB/5,5'' FHD IPS/Quad1,3/4000mAh bat. And beautifully designed phone. 6.0's battery optimization features, only help with the battery life

Good article. Really nice and informative.

 

[Tilek]

I used Nexus 5, then Meizu m2, and now Samsung S7. For some devices there is just no update to Marshmallow yet.

Marshmallow is amazing, I like the variety of tweaks it can give us, with some great material design.
I just hope Google, would push mobile phone companies to pre-install new version from the start, save so much time. And one more thing, get the Android version be compatible and optimized just like iOS