Google has updated its Android Developer site with data about the percentage of active devices running a given version of its mobile operating system. The good news is that Ice Cream Sandwich is finally picking up some speed, with its share of active Android devices jumping 3.8% over the last month. The bad news is that more than eight months since its release that's still just 10.9% of all Android devices.
The gain comes as device manufacturers continue to roll out their ICS updates and flagship Android 4.0 devices including HTC's One X and Samsung's Galaxy S III launch worldwide.
Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" remains the single most-popular Android version at 63.6%, followed by Android 2.2 "Froyo" with 17.3%. Their installed base is slowly decreasing, dropping 1-2 percentage points over the month, but even today low-end devices are still being shipped and used with Gingerbread.
The data is based on the number of Android devices that have accessed Google Play within a 14-day period ending July 2nd and is provided to developers so they can decide how to prioritize the development of their applications' features for the devices currently in the hands of users.
With carriers and OEMs taking this long to get Ice Cream Sandwich on a tenth of Android devices in the market, things are not looking too promising for the newly announced Jelly Bean. Google hopes to improve roll out times with the release of a Platform Developer Kit (PDK) for Android device partners, but only said the Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, and Motorola Xoom will be getting the update in July. Beyond that, manufacturers including Acer, Asus, and HTC remain tight-lipped about their Android 4.1 update plans.
