KitKat now on 13.6 percent of all Android devices; Jelly Bean still top

When it comes to Android, the one constant criticism is the sluggish pace of device updates, thanks to the plethora of manufacturers, who all take their sweet time to dish out the latest Android confectionery.

However, this year, manufacturers are getting more and more on the ball in terms of releasing devices with the latest version of Android. It’s probably down to the pressure Google has been putting on them to do so. But it sure has resulted in a big spike in the number of Android KitKat devices.

Android 4.4+ KitKat is running on 13.6% of all Android devices, rising up from 8.5 percent last month. This is down to a number of factors, including updates to last year’s flagships, and consumers replacing aging phones with the likes of the Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 and Sony Xperia Z2. In addition, in India, there’s been an invasion of sorts when it comes to KitKat phones, even in the budget segment, with phones such as Lava Iris X1, Moto E, LG L70 and so on.

Android 4.1+ Jelly Bean remains the leader with over 58 percent of the share, with Android 4.2.X and up, which is the more secure version of the OS, narrowly beating out Android 4.1.x. Ice Cream Sandwich, Honeycomb,  Gingerbread and Froyo continue to slide down and together account for 28 percent of the ecosystem.