Google Android 4.0 Now Accounts For 16 Percent Of Android Market

Google Android 4.0 enabled devices now account for 16 percent of the overall Android mobile market, an increase of nearly 46 percent month-over-month. According to current numbers Android Ice Cream Sandwich powered devices now operate on 15.9 percent of all Android-powered smartphones.

On July 2 only 10.9 percent of all Android devices were equipped with Android 4.0.

The new adoption numbers come from the official Google Android Platform Versions chart which provides chart numbers from the last two-week period ending August 1. While several slightly older phones have been allowed to upgrade the biggest jump in market numbers come from Samsung Galaxy S III Smartphone sales alongside several other newer Android powered devices.

Google has had a problem with OS adoption because its open source operating system allows device manufacturers to change the OS for their own needs. As Google releases new versions of its mobile OS manufacturers must than test the new OS and choose whether or not they want to make the OS work with their currently available devices. In comparison Apple often pushes out iOS updates to multiple new and legacy devices at the same time.

In comparing Android 4.0 to Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread the new OS still has a long way to go. Gingerbread currently operates on 60.6 percent of available devices, down from 64 percent last month. Google Android 2.2 Froyo is still operating on 15.5 percent of devices (down from 17.3 percent) while Android 2.1 Eclair is found on just 4.2 percent of all Google Android devices.

Until Google figures out how to combat the fragmentation issue its marketplace will continue to focus on new device sales in place of OS upgrades.