According to Android Developers Dashboard records, this is the first time the 4.x version of the software has surpassed its widely used Gingerbread in user numbers. As of March 4, 2013, Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean) had a user base of 45.1 percent, higher than the 2.3 Gingerbread device at 44.2 percent, as of March 4, 2013.
In that calculation,
Android 4.0’s share is 28.6% and 4.1 / 4.2’s share is 16.5%; The 4x version of this popular mobile OS created by Google has taken a little longer to overtake the old 2.3 generation. The Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 operating system took about 9 months to capture 10 percent of the market, even though it hit the market in late 2011 with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Android 4.x versions bring
Significant improvements in user interface and features as well as several benefits for developers like new API for camera focus and metering, more access to calendar and contacts, VPN service etc.
There are many reasons behind people’s slow adoption of new
Android versions. Not everyone can upgrade their relatively “backdated” device operating system at will. Sometimes hardware requirements get in the way of software updates. Besides, some compatibility issues of old versions with new software remain.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the
Android Developer
Dashboard only gets data from devices that have accessed Google Play over a specific 14-day period. So it’s best not to expect Android device statistics dashboard outside of Play Store.