Android is the largest mobile operating system in the world, with over three billion users. Any smartphone not named iPhone runs the operating system, with Google at the head of the table pushing new software releases every year.
Android started out as an open source mobile operating system, with manufacturers able to take the framework and customize it to their heart’s content. But as Google added more of its own services and systems, the split between open source and Android widened.
Nowadays, open source Android is a barebones operating system, while the Android almost all smartphone run is filled with proprietary technology and rules written by Google that Android OEMs must abide by.
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Get StartedGoogle pushed for more control in the mid-2010s and has solidified its position, with Samsung, Sony and other manufacturers reducing the amount of first-party apps and customizations deployed.
Even with this control, the majority of Android users still run an older version of the OS on their device. Only about 40% of users update their software in the first few months of a new release being published, although some may be unable to due to OEMs or phone age.
In comparison, over 85% of iPhone users regularly update their iPhone to the latest iOS software patch.
We have collected data and statistics on Android version adoption rates. Read on below to find out more.
Android Version Adoption Rates
Android has been updated every year since 2013. Google used sweet-based names for the first few iterations, before switching to the conventional number format.
