Google has released the latest distribution numbers for the various shipping versions of Android, with the latest version, Marshmallow, picking up a marginal increase.
Last month’s numbers showed Android 6.0 running on only 0.3% of devices, while this month’s chart puts it at 0.5%, making it the least-used version of Android except for Froyo.
The latest Android distribution numbers for a seven-day period ending November 3rd reveal that KitKat is installed on 30.2% of devices that accessed the Play Store during the last week. Meanwhile, the distribution of the over two-year-old Jelly Bean version continued to decline, but remains the leading platform, with a 50.1% share.
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As it does at the beginning of every month, Google has just updated the Android Distribution data to reflect data collected during a 7-day period ending on April 1, 2014. Notable this time around is that Android 4.4 KitKat usage more than doubled, rising from 2.5 percent last month to 5.3 percent. Of course, that’s still a very small percentage of the total user base, but growing by double in a month signals that KitKat updates are finally starting to make their way to the masses.
With the rise in KitKat usage came a slight decline in Jelly Bean numbers from an even 62 percent to 61.4 percent . Ice Cream Sandwich declined to 14.3 percent from 15.2 percent last month, while Gingerbread continued to slow demise, going from 19 percent to 17.8 percent.
With this new data, 81 percent of all devices are now running a version of Android 4.0 or greater. This seems respectable, but it’s important to note that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was originally unveiled all the way back in 2011. So it’s apparent that Google can still do even more to improve the Android update progress. But things are improving and that’s what matters.
As it does every month, Google has just updated the Android distribution data to reflect the month of July. Jelly Bean is now running on 37.9 percent of devices, with 32.3 percent of those running Android 4.1.x. That’s up from 33 percent this time last month. Gingerbread fell from 36.5 percent to 34.1 percent, which makes Jelly Bean the most used Android operating system. Ice Cream Sandwich is now at 23.3 percent, down from 25.6 percent last month.
Froyo is now at 3.1 percent (was at 3.2 percent), Eclair has fallen to 1.4 percent (was at 1.5 percent), Honeycomb and Donut are both now at just 0.1 percent.
Google collects this data during the first week of each month by logging the devices that access the Play Store. It use to be that the data was collected when the device simply checked-in to Google servers.
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Analytics firm Localytics released a study today depicting Android fragmentation as a not-so serious issue in recent times.
Fragmentation is the inability to develop an application against a singular reference and achieve its intended behavior throughout all devices or operating systems suitable for the application. Localytics pinpointed Android’s succession to a couple operating systems, screen sizes, and display resolutions as the primary factors contributing to the removal of fragmentation among handheld devices and tablets…
The latest Android platform versions distributions chart was announced yesterday after the Android Developers’ website collected data for two weeks, and the share results reaped a few surprising figures.
Gingerbread gobbled 55 percent of the share, and Froyo landed at second place with 30 percent. However, according to last month’s results, Gingerbread increased from 50.6-percent while Froyo decreased from 35.3-percent. The statistical difference may be due to Froyo smartphones receiving an upgrade or Gingerbread smartphones seeing an increase in activations over the holiday season. Google recently announced it added 3.7 million devices on Christmas.
Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, is making the biggest amount of noise with these latest results. Ice Cream Sandwich devices -only the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S for now- account for just .6-percent of the share of all of the devices that have called the Android market in the last two weeks. If that total is near the 200 million that Google announced in November, that means over a million Galaxy Nexus Devices have been activated in the few weeks since release.
In an update on the official Notion Ink blog, Notion Ink’s CEO, Rohan Shravan, shared his thoughts on when Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich source code would become publicly available.
17th is when we are expecting ICS to be finally out with the source, and then you will see whole community (aka TabletRoms) and NI pushing in ROMs with different flavors.
AndroidCentral points out that Rohan has a track record worth taking a look at. It shows that he had successfully predicted the Gingerbread source code release date, something that doesn’t happen by coincidence. The prediction couldn’t have been made without reference. Samsung’s announcement of November 17th availability of the Galaxy Nexus in Europe might just be his reference for this go around.
You’d be right to argue that most smartphones double as digital cameras these days, but Panasonic’s upcoming Android handsets is in an entirely different league when it comes to snapping photos on the go. Their four-inch Gingerbread device dubbed the Lumix Phone 101P has a high-resolution camera with a 13.2-megapixel CMOS Lumix sensor with Mobile Venus Engine and water-proof body.
Lumix is Panasonic’s brand of digital cameras, ranging from pocket point-and-shoot models to digital SLRs. Other specs include a QHD display with a 960-by-540 pixel resolution, a 1GHz OMAP4430 dual-core chip from Texas Instruments, e-wallet features and digital TV tuner. The Lumix Phone 101P should launch on SoftBank’s network in Japan in November.
via TechCrunch
Today we’re getting a nice look at some leaked images of the Samsung Stratosphere LTE capable smartphone, rumored to land on Verizon sometime this week.
The image above (via PocketNow) gives us a clear shot of this low price point device running Gingerbread 2.3.4, however specs on the device are still up in the air. According to rumors, it could sport a 5 megapixel backside and 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, and approximately 2GB of storage, but at this point your guess is as good as any. As you can see from the image, it also packs in a QWERTY slide-out hardware keyboard.
PocketNow is also predicting a price tag of $150 on a new contract. Many also expect the device to launch as early as the end of the week with the Droid Bionic.We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
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Samsung is introducing seven new monikers to their smartphone branding so people can “simply identify the device designed to deliver the perfect experience for them”
The Inquirer reports that Samsung confirmed they will be adding four new smartphone sub-categories to the venerable Galaxy family of smartphones and tablets at the IFA 2011 show in Germany, nine days from today. Expanding on the successful Galaxy S series, the company will roll out new models that will be distinguished with the following suffixes: “R” for Royal/Refined, “W” for Wonder, “M” for Magical and “Y” for Young. As for the Galaxy S, the “S” stands for Super Smart, the South Korean company explained.
In addition, each model may be offered in three flavors, which will be denoted by adding “Pro”, “Plus” and “LTE” to their brand names. What are those about? Well, “Pro” means a physical QWERTY keyboard, “Plus” is for upgraded devices and “LTE”, as the name tells, means the device supports the fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution radio technology. Go past the fold for a quick list of the upcoming new phones.
We showed you images of that extremely thick battery attached to the back of what we believed to be Motorola’s Droid Bionic. Now, new leaked images (via Engadget) show a mystery device known only as the “Droid HD”… which is seemingly a thinner, but beefed up version of the Bionic. However, we can’t help but feel the Droid HD looks like a polished, finished version of the Bionic (possibly as a pro model). There is a possibility it’s just a revised design and renaming of the Bionic, considering we find it hard to believe the device will be released publicly with that unnecessarily chunky design.
From the images, the apparently detachable battery appears to cover more surface area but is, luckily, much thinner than those leaked Bionic shots (the image above shows the Droid HD next to what we believe is the Droid Bionic). Some of the notable features discovered from the images include an 8mp rear-facing 1080p camera, front-facing camera, microUSB, HDMI, SIM & microSD on the left, and volume rocker on the right. Of course most are expecting the 4.5-inch display to sport HD resolution given the device’s “HD” moniker.
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HTC Bliss, found by This is my next in May.
Rumors of the HTC Bliss have been floating around since May, but new details have emerged regarding the phone aimed at girls. The device is no powerhouse, reports HTC Inside. On the software side the device will feature Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread) with a HTC Sense 3.5 as an overlay..bleh. On the hardware side the device will reportedly ship with a Qualcomm MSM7x30 processor running at 800 Mhz. This device will likely be a mid-range phone, like the Desire Z, and will most likely land at Verizon next month. Now for the girls part…
The device will come preloaded with apps aimed at women — like a calorie counter and a shopping app. More interestingly, as an accessory there will be a charm that will hang off the phone and lights up when you have a notification (seen after the break).
Does the world really need a phone aimed at girls? TechCrunch’s Sarah Perez weighs in..
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sxBvpEwgGc&]
It’s official…Today Samsung and NVIDIA have outed their latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread-powered device in the Galaxy smartphone (superphone?) family, which we now know will sport a 900 x480 4.19-inch “Super Clear” LCD display, Tegra 2 dual-core processor, front-facing 1.3mp camera, and a 5mp rear camera with LED flash that supports HD video recording. Full specs from the press release after the break.
The press release describes the Galaxy R as a”lightweight, slim and sleek metallic design, the GALAXY R Smartphone delivers incredible performance thanks to its Dual Core processor”… which is all true, but we can’t help but feel this device is specifically for those that don’t require everything packed into the obviously superior, but very similar, Galaxy S II. Either way, we aren’t complaining about having another powerful Android-based device on the market that resembles the S II.
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Motorola’s Xoom will get the promised 4G LTE modem upgrade in September, per corporate communication from Verizon Wireless sent to registered users, published by the Droid Life blog. The free of charge update promises a tenfold increase in network speeds, available to more than 110 million people in select markets where the carrier rolled out its 4G LTE network, with “coverage expanding every day”. The email notice reads:
Be on the lookout at the end of summer for an email with information about how to upgrade your Motorola XOOM to speeds up to 10X faster than 3G. In the meantime, learn more about what you can do to prepare for the 4G LTE upgrade to your Motorola XOOM by backing up data, encrypting, or resetting your Motorola Xoom tablet.
On a somewhat related note, T-Mobile and Sony Ericsson also began rolling out Gingerbread updates to the Xperia X10 and G2x
In an industry-first, AT&T issued a statement pledging to update all post-paid Android smartphones released in 2011 to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Motorola Atrix 4G owners will get a Gingerbgread update beginning today and HTC Inspire 4G users will get it “in the coming weeks”, AT&T confirms. As for the Atrix, Gingerbread will enable the ability to download applications from third-party stores. Other smartphones in AT&T’s lineup pinned for Gingerbread include LG’s Phoenix, Pantech’s Crossover and Samsung’s Captivate 4G and Infuse 4G.
Delivery method will vary by device, the carrier said. That AT&T is taking updating Android phones seriously is a welcome sign for consumers and the Android ecosystem at large, often criticized for platform fragmentation. Google said at their annual developer conference in May that they will be tackling fragmentation woes by imposing strict requirements on their carrier and handset partners. Upgrade details are right below the fold.
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LG this morning announced two new phones engineered around Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The LG Optimus Pro (LG-C660) and Optimus Net (LG-P690) smartphones – both rolling out in 30 markets this summer beginning in Europe – feature a 1500mAh battery – “the largest in their class”, says LG – and an 800MHz processor. The phones are clearly aimed at the social generation. The Optimus Pro hasa QWERTY keyboard that will appeal to fast typists, a 2.8-inch touch display and dedicated hardware hotkeys for email and scheduler. The device will be available in white, titan and black.
The Optimus Net, available in black and white, sports a bigger 3.2-inch 320-by-480 pixel resolution display and LG Social+, the company’s own widget that acts as a hub to popular social networks. It lets you read your friends’ social media feeds, update Facebook and Twitter status, share photos across multiple social media accounts and more. LG wrote another application, SmartShare, that enables the phone to share media with other DLNA-compliant devices.
The North American version will include a QWERTY keyboard and in Brazil, China, Asia and the CIS region, the Optimus Net will be dual SIM-compatible. Also, some European carriers will get a version of the device with an NFC chip for mobile payments. More images and full release after the break.
Android 2.3.4, a minor update to the Gingerbread-named release of Google’s operating system for smartphones has leaked onto the web ahead of the official carrier release. For now, it’s only available for Samsung’s Galaxy S II smartphone through the means of a downloadable firmware file. Even though it’s only a minor update, Gingerbread 2.3.4 carries a few little surprises worth mentioning. For instance, the update enables Google Talk video calling on Samsung’s device and battery life improvements are also being reported. Some early adopters also claim improved reception due to an updated baseband software. If you’re eager to take the plunge and install the new firmware yourself (and void your warranty in the process), check out a handy guide and download links over at the SAMFirmware blog.
Early adopters that bought into the tablet craze by picking up a Samsung Galaxy Tab as then the only viable iPad alternative will be delighted to know that carrier Sprint has begun pushing the Android 2.3 Gingerbread software update over-the-air. Their gadget girl Michelle Leff boasted on Twitter that Sprint is the first carrier to roll out Gingerbread for the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The new firmware brings HID Bluetooth and it updates the device’s baseband software to version S:P100.08 S.EF17 (build GINGERBREAD.EF17).
As you know, Gingerbread is technically a phone operating system. Google was strongly discouraging vendors from building tablet products until Honeycomb arrived. Samsung, of course, didn’t listen. As the iPad had taken everyone by surprise, the Korean gadget maker went on to launch the Galaxy Tab in September of last year. Despite Steve Jobs’ claims that the seven-inch tablets will be dead on arrival because users would need to sandpaper their fingers down to hit the tiny on-screen controls, the form factor has actually been quite compelling, at least among the Android community.
As Apple fans have been anxiously awaiting the native Skype app for iPad for days, the company has updated its Android app with one-to-one video calls over both wireless and cellular networks. According to a post over at the Skype blog, the Skype for Android 2.0 app sports a complete redesign of the user interface:
There’s a new main menu on the Skype app for Android where you can navigate easily through your contacts, access your Skype profile to change personal details, use the dial pad to make calls, see the balance of your Skype Credit and, of course, make video calls. A new mood message box at the top of the Skype app menu makes it easier than ever to share how you are feeling, what you’ve seen or what you’re up to.
You will need a supported Android Gingerbread device with a forward-facing camera, which at the time of this writing included the HTC Desire S, Sony Ericsson Xperia neo, Sony Ericsson Xperia pro and Google Nexus S (more handsets coming soon, Skype says). To download the updated Skype app, simply visit skype.com/m from your Android device or grab it from Android Market.
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Of course, it ain’t the first phone to be called a Facebook phone. But if you’re fan of Zuckerberg’s social network, you should give this one a chance. What’s the number one thing for Facebook (excluding photos)? Yes, status updates. That’s what guided HTC to put a dedicated Facebook share button on the aptly named Status handset, to cater to the Facebook generation that cannot fathom letting an hour go by without firing up a couple of status updates.
Apart from the button and the BlackBerry-style physical QWERTY keyboard that sits below the screen, the Status packs in an 800MHz chip, a five-megapixel camera on the back and a VGA camera out the front, a 1,250 mAh battery and a 2.6-inch touchscreen with a 480-by-320 pixel resolution – all driven by Android 2.3 Gingerbread. AT&T wouldn’t say when the phone would be available. Full release and t he complete front shot of the device right below.
An image leaked yesterday by The Pop Herald suggests a possible successor to the Motorola Droid Pro, which Sprint marketed as the XPRT. In a nod at business users, the yet-to-be-named device packs in a physical QWERTY keyboard, in addition to both capacitive touchscreen and buttons, a possible Sprint 4G WiMax network connectivity and Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box:
According to the tipster, the next QWERTY Motorola smartphone is curvier compared to the Motorola XPRT. The tipster added that the physical QWERTY keyboard of the unannounced phone was slightly modified, now with a “smile pattern,” compared to XPRT’s “ruler pattern.”
Considering that Sprint began offering the business-centric XPRT on June 5 of this year, full six months following its November 18, 2010 debut on the Verizon network, here’s to hoping we won’t have to wait that long for this handset.
At CommunicAsia 2011 in Singapore, Sony Ericsson launched a new compact smartphone that runs Gingerbread, the newest Android 2.3 release available for phones. Just 55mm wide, 92mm tall, 16.5mm deep and weighing in at 110 grams, it easily slips into your back pocket. The “It’s the ultimate phone for your active life” tagline is not without its merits: The device features dust-proof and water-resistant design with scratch-proof multitouch display that accepts touch input even when either the screen or your fingers are wet.
And you gotta love this line from the promo clip (below the fold) coming from the mouths of tennis player Maria Sharapova who endorsed the Xperia active while trashing Apple’s handset indirectly by alluding to Antennagate:
I don’t feel I have to be TOO SAFE with my phone, almost be a little rough and I know I’ll be able to take it and throw it in my bag, can get water on it, dust antyhing – and I know that I’ll be able to make a phone call.
Additionally, it comes preloaded with sports apps, has built-in GPS, barometer and compass and can monitor your heart rate and pulse in real time using ANT+ wireless networking. The impressive hardware (given its size) includes a three-inch display 320-by-480 display with Mobile Bravia Engine, a 1GHz processor and a five-megapixel back camera that shots 720p clips and has a bunch of intelligent features.
Plus, it ships with two interchangeable covers and a bunch of sports accessories, including an arm case, wrist strap, sport stereo headset. soft touch back cover and detachable ear hooks for the handsfree active headset. The Xperia active should hit select global markets by the third quarter of this year. More juicy press shots, full release and the Maria Sharapova clip right below.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t05991f5WlY]
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Sony Ericsson yesterday confirmed that its Xperia X10 will be getting the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update in early August. In addition to a detailed feature list from March, Gingerbread software will keep the original camera interface as in the Eclair version and enable Facebook integration that the company rolled out to 2011 handsets, sans this caveat:
With regards to the roll-out plan, as said back in March, this will first and foremost be made available to generic trade kits. Even if there will be some operator kits getting this upgrade, as said before – some of you will not be able to upgrade your customized version of Xperia X10.
Also, DLNA functionality won’t be supported at this time. With bad news out of the way, here’s more features to be excited about plus a nice video of Gingerbread on the Xperia X10 in action…
