For as well-received as Android 12 was (Google actually won an award for it), we can’t expect it to be as widespread as the other versions of Android. It’s still new compared to previous versions of Android. This means that several OEMs still need to update their phones to the latest version. Not only that, but we also have to take into account that a ton of phones launching now, especially mid-range and budget phones, launch with Android 11 out of the box. So, while Android 12 is trickling down to flagship phones, boatloads of phones are launching with Android 11.
Android 11 has the highest distribution numbers for 2022
Right now, Android 11 is sitting at the top of the distribution charts, and that should come as no surprise. According to the chart, Android 11 has about 28.3% of the market. It has the highest number, and Android 10 follows closely behind at 23.9%. Third, is Android 9 Pie with 16.2% of the market and Android 8 Oreo is next with 11.6%. If you noticed the pattern, you’ll see that the numbers go down as you reach older versions of the operating system. That should not come as a shocker. The last entry on the chart is 2012’s Android 4.1 Jellybean with 0.4% of the market. As time goes on, we’ll see the numbers for the older versions diminish as Android 12 makes its way to the top. More phones will launch with Android 12 as Android 13 gets its final release. Then, the cycle will continue as we move into Android 14. Pretty soon, Android 11 will be the one at the bottom of the chart with less than 1% of the market.
