Android Nougat Adoption Sits At Just 13 Percent Ahead Of Google’s Big O Release

by Brandon Hill — Wednesday, August 09, 2017, 10:22 AM EDT

Android 7.x Nougat was first made available nearly a year ago; August 22^nd 2016 to be exact. Since that time, we’ve seen a slew of new smartphone ranging from budget devices to mid-range models, to chest-thumbing flagships like the Galaxy S8 and LG G6. However, despite the fact that Android is the most popular operating system on the planet, the number of devices running the most recent publicly available version is relatively small.

Google recently updated its developer portal, which indicates that Android Nougat is installed on just 13.5 percent of all devices. At this point, the most popular version of Android among all devices is Marshmallow, which is holding firm with 32.3 percent. Lollipop isn’t far behind with a 29.2 percent share. KitKat, which was first released nearly four years ago is still more popular than Nougat, coming in with 16 percent of the Android installed base.

Intriguingly, Nougat’s performance is actually tracking behind that of Marshmallow at this point in its lifecycle. In August 2016, Marshmallow was sitting pretty with a 15.2 percent share of the Android OS market.

Nougat’s performance is even more disappointing when you consider what Apple is able to achieve with iOS. For all the shade thrown at Apple for its “walled garden”, its tight control over hardware and software means that its devices are more likely to be running a current version of iOS. In fact, nearly 90 percent of iOS devices out in the wild are running iOS 10, the latest version available.

For those that want to ensure that they receive the latest versions of Android and security updates in a timely fashion, your best bet is to go with a Google-branded device like the Pixel and Pixel XL. Given that Google controls the hardware and software (like Apple), these devices are always on the fast track to receive not only test versions of Android, but also all retail releases.

However even that support is limited. According to Google’s own documentation, Pixel and Pixel XL owners aren’t guaranteed to receive any new major OS updates after Android P

Tags: Google, pixel, (nasdaq:goog), android o, nougat, android 7.0, pixel xl

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.