Android Lollipop adoption rates on the rise: 18.1 per cent of users now on latest software

Almost a year after the release of Google’s latest Android software version, Android Lollipop has received a small bump in the number of consumer devices that have actually got it.

A report from Google shows that the install base of devices running either Lollipop 5.0 or 5.1 has risen to 18.1%, a reasonable increase from the 12.4% share seen in reports this June.

The increase can most likely be attributed to the wide range of high-profile flagship phones - such as Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge - running Android Lollipop out of the box as well as an increased roll-out of updates to existing Android models.

Despite the increase, their previous operating system update KitKat still reigns among Android devices with a huge 39.3% distribution rate, while Jelly Bean also takes a sizeable chunk of the market with a 33.6% install base. Ice Cream Sandwich at 4.1%, Gingerbread at 4.6% and Froyo with a measly 0.3% round out Google’s report.

While Google will be looking to increase the amount of users upgrading to their latest software ahead of the release of their next update Android M, their current figures sit in stark contrast with those coming from their closest rivals Apple who announced in June that a staggering 83% of iPhone owners are running iOS 8.

Due later this year, Android M looks set to be a reserved but welcome advancement on the big changes ushered in by Android Lollipop, with “hundreds” of updates designed to effectively tweak performance such as “dozing”, where devices left on standby for long stretches of time enter a deeper sleep to reduce battery drain.