We complained before how long it took for Android 5.0 to make it to Google’s Android Distribution chart. But ever since it landed last month, it seems to be making strides. As of March 2, 2015, just at the beginning of MWC 2015, Android 5.0 Lollipop has climbed up to 3.3 percent of the pie. While still an extremely small number, it’s already twice than it’s number last month. If this is the start of a trend, Lollipop may very well quickly rise up to take a larger portion in the months to come.
In comparison, it took Android 4.4 Kitkat a bit more time to double its month by month percentage. Perhaps there is far more excitement over the huge changes that Lollipop is bringing to Android. Google seems to also be more aggressive in pushing out the latest version as the one OEMs should aim for. And lastly, users have become more aware of Android updates and are holding their OEMs and carriers more accountable for updates.
And this figure could very well jump high again in the next month or so. By the end of February, a lot more devices have started receiving Android 5.0 updates around the world and will continue to do so. MWC 2015 has also seen the announcements of new Lollipop devices, ranging from high end devices to budget selections, some of which will launch in April. Needless to say, it looks like full steam ahead for Android 5.0.
Is it, however, enough to banish the dreaded ghost of Android defragmentation? Sadly, the trend doesn’t look encouraging. Aside from Lollipop, everything else is moving slowly. KitKat only went up by 1.2 percent after nearly months of rock solid climbing. All the rest are going down but only ever so slightly. The combined might of the three Jelly Beans still hold 42.6 percent of the total and, as a group, only went down by 1.9 percent. That said, it is close to giving up the crown to KitKat, which singlehandedly owns 40.9 percent of the market. Curiously, Android 2.2 Froyo refuses to budge and remains at 0.4 percent as it has since January.
SOURCE: Google
