NEW YORK: Android devices get only 3 percent updates of the newest version of Android’s operating system, Lollipop.
According to the latest Android Developer data, Lollipop is on 3.3 percent of Android gadgets. Jelly Bean is still the most popular at a combined 42.6 percent between versions 4.1 through 4.3. But it’s neck and neck with KitKat, which launched in 2013 and was on 40.9 percent of Android devices as of March 2.
Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich still best Lollipop with 6.9 percent and 5.9 percent, respectively.
Those on Ice Cream Sandwich, though, might want to consider an upgrade. Google announced this week that Chrome’s 42nd Android release will be its last on the Ice Cream Sandwich platform.
“Developing new features on older phones has become increasingly challenging, and supporting ICS takes time away from building new experiences on the devices owned by the vast majority of our users,” software engineer Aurimas Lutikas said in a blog post.
So, after Chrome 42, ICS device owners can continue using the browser, but will not receive further updates.
The news, meanwhile, comes amidst reports that Lollipop is not yet fully encrypted by default. In September, Google said that with Lollipop, “encryption will be enabled by default out of the box, so you want even have to think about turning it on.”
That is not the case, however, according to Ars Technica, which found default encryption on the Nexus 6 smartphone and Nexus 9 tablet, but not on third-party devices like the Moto E and Samsung Galaxy S6.
Google did not immediately respond to PCMag’s request for comment, but told Engadget that the move is a result of “performance issues” on some hardware.
“Due to performance issues on some Android partner devices we are not yet at encryption by default on every new Lollipop device,” the company said. “We remain firmly committed to encryption because it helps keep users safe and secure on the Web.”
