Every month Google releases stats that give a glimpse into the distribution of the various versions of Android. Like clockwork, the percentages of the older versions (Donut, Eclair or Froyo) tend to trail off, while newer versions such as Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean amass greater authority.
Starting with the release of the new charts, Google has changed the way it collects information for the monthly Dashboard release. Back in the day when Froyo and Eclair were the current builds, Google took information from Android phones each time they checked in to Google servers. Now, the data comes from phones as they visit the Google Play Store. This should result in more accurate information.
Jelly Bean has reached 25 per cent marketshare, but is still not in the lead with the most active users. Android 3.2 Gingerbread, released in 2010, leads with more than 40 percent of users, followed by Ice Cream Sandwich with 29 per cent of users.
Before the change in the way Google counts, Jelly Bean sat at roughly 15 percent marketshare, which makes for a considerable jump. Android has long been blamed for taking longer to seed its latest update to new devices than Apple’s iOS. The new numbers, while aimed at developers, definitely paint a better picture to the public.
At any rate, developers now have a better understanding of who to target their apps to.
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