17 June 2010, 13:04

Google: 50% Android devices now running 2.1

Android Google has published an updated breakdown of the number of active devices running a given version of its Android mobile operating system platform. According to the Platform Versions device dashboard on the Android Developer portal, half of all Android devices in circulation are now running version 2.1 of Android – up nearly 18% compared to early May (32.4%). Android 1.5 and 1.6 devices now make up 49.6% of devices. The remaining 0.5% is comprised of devices still running version 1.1, 2.0 and 2.0.1 of Android.

Android 2.2 code named "Froyo", which was released at this year's Google I/O developer conference, isn't listed. The only device to be officially updated to Android 2.2 is Google's Nexus One smartphone, but relatively few devices – seemingly Google I/O attendees and some journalists – have so far received the over-the-air update.

Source: Google

The increase of devices running Android 2.1 comes as a result of device manufacturers and carriers releasing new Android 2.1 based phones, such as the Evo 4G on US mobile carrier Sprint, as well as updates for existing devices. Motorola recently released an Android 2.1 upgrade for its Milestone mobile phone – the Droid, as the Milestone is known on US CDMA carrier Verizon, received its 2.1 update at the end of March. By comparison HTC only just confirmed that, after a number of delays, its former HTC Hero flagship device would finally be receiving an update to Android 2.1 by the end of the month.

Oddly, some device manufacturers are still releasing new Android phones running (much) older versions of Google's mobile operating system. For example, the Dell Streak tablet runs version 1.6 of Android, which Sony Ericsson's latest top-of-the-line Xperia X10 continues to ship with as well.

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