Despite being pre-installed on new phones and receiving longer updates support from Android manufacturers, Android 13 still lags behind in market share. Google’s latest distribution numbers reveal that Android 13 holds a modest 14.7% share, while Android 11, released in 2020, remains more prevalent.
In contrast, Apple’s distribution numbers indicate higher adoption rates for its latest operating systems. iOS 16 runs on 81% of iPhones, and iPadOS 16 on 71% of iPads. Apple also reports that 90% of iPhones released in the past four years are now running iOS 16.
Although Android 13 experienced a slight increase in adoption during May, rising from 12.1% to 14.7%, it still holds a small portion of active Android devices.
Interestingly, Android 12, 11, and 10 have seen slight declines as users upgrade to newer versions. Surprisingly, Android Oreo’s market share grew from 6.7% to 8.3% within a month, without a clear explanation for the rise.
Google has implemented initiatives like Project Treble and Project Mainline to facilitate faster delivery of Android updates to supported devices. However, these efforts have resulted in only marginal improvements in adoption rates, as evidenced by the data.
In comparison, Apple’s closed ecosystem, limited device models, greater control over the update process, and extended software support contribute to its superior update performance.
