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Summary

  • Android 13 has become the most popular OS version, with a 7.4% increase in just four months since the last distribution numbers were posted.
  • The adoption rate of Android 13 is impressive due to more devices launching with the OS and budget Android smartphones being updated to it.
  • Android 9's share at 10.5% in the distribution numbers is disappointing, as these devices have reached their end of life and will likely not receive any further updates.

Android's distribution numbers are depressing to look at. They lay bare the fragmentation problem of the platform despite Google's best efforts. No wonder Google no longer actively publishes Android's distribution numbers, and has made it harder to see. The stats were last updated for the period ending May 2023 and revealed that Android 11 remained the most popular distribution of the OS, running on 23.1% of devices. Thankfully, the latest numbers are less depressing and paint a better picture.

As spotted by GizChina and Mishaal Rahman, Google updated the Android version distribution statistics in Android Studio with data collected up to October 1, 2023. They reflect that Android 13 is now the most popular version of the OS, running on 22.4% of the devices out there. That's a hefty 7.4% jump in just four months since the last distribution numbers were posted.

Given that Android 13 has been out for just over a year, the adoption rate of the OS is impressive. This is likely due to more devices launching with Android 13 and many budget Android smartphones being updated to the OS. With Android 14 now out though, the OS's adoption rate could slow down.

Android 11 was the second-most popular version, though its share declined from 23.1% to 21.6%. As if the 2020 release of an OS still being so popular was not enough, Android 10 was the third-most popular version. Despite registering a 1.7% decline, Android 11 ran on 16.1% of all devices that accessed the Play Store until October 1, 2023. Android 12 also saw its share drop from 16.3% to 15.8% and was the fourth most popular release of the OS.

What's even more disappointing to see is Android 9's share at 10.5% in the distribution numbers. These devices have reached their end of life, though, and will likely not receive any further updates. So, their numbers will remain stagnant or decline slowly, as users upgrade to newer phones and tablets.

Android 14 missing from the distribution list is not surprising. Its stable build was released a few days after Google collected the data. We should see the OS appear the next time the distribution chart is updated.

Many Android manufacturers are now promising longer software support for their devices. While that will help reduce fragmentation, they must also work on their rollout speeds. For example, since Android 14's public release at the beginning of October, only select Samsung and Xiaomi phones have been updated to the OS.