Android Jelly Bean: Google's game-changer

Newest version of the OS becomes top dog for the first time.
Today's Dialaphone article details Google's explosive Android operating system and the way that newest version Jelly Bean is now leading the pack...
It’s been a long time coming but Android Jelly Bean is now the most popular version of Google’s mobile operating system, surpassing the Gingerbread iteration for the first time.
Google recently released new data based on the number of Android devices accessing the Google Play Store. The findings reveal that Jelly Bean is now running on 37.9 per cent of all active Android devices around the world, while Gingerbread settles in at 34.1 per cent and Ice Cream Sandwich at 23.3 per cent.
The search giant said its revamped data capturing method “more accurately reflects those users who are most engaged in the Android and Google Play ecosystem.”
These latest figures suggest an almost ten per cent rise in Android’s market share since last month, which could well be down to a number of high-profile Android Jelly Bean devices debuting this year.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, which are available on a range of contracts from network providers including O2 and Vodafone, are just two smartphones that have helped boost Android’s profile even further. Both handsets are selling in huge quantities and Samsung even recently reported it has shipped 20 million units of its flagship.
Developers
Android 4.0 and above now powers more than 60 per cent of devices currently on the market, and it is now the only version of Google’s software that is experiencing any growth. This will also come as great news to developers because it means the mobile platform will gradually start to become less fragmented, making app development far more straightforward.
In the past Android has come under fire for having lots of different iterations of its software running on lots of different devices, and as a result Google has always struggled with getting the bulk of its users on the same version. For those developing third party applications this can make the process much harder and slower, as they have to optimise their creations for a range of software rather than just one.
Fortunately for Google, Jelly Bean updates are finally starting to gather pace and although devices running Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich will likely be around for quite some time, it’s a promising development that is likely to boost the popularity of the Android platform even further.
Market share
In its entirety Android is said to command almost 70 per cent of the smartphone market, but competition from the likes of Apple and the popularity of the iPhone 5, is still strong – in fact Google’s profits are still well below those pulled in by the Cupertino firm.
According to fan blog Apple Insider, during 2012 Google earned around $50bn compared to Apple’s $54bn for the last quarter alone. Apple certainly seems to be leveraging its market share much more effectively, which proves that in the long run it’s not always market share that matters, it’s what a company does to utilise it that could prove to be more beneficial.
That said, there is no doubt Google is working hard to bring all of its users together, but in a space where smartphone software innovations are becoming an even more important selling point for manufacturers, the firm still needs to focus on its future creations to keep users interested in its mobile platform.
In October Google is expected to unveil the next iteration of its OS; Key Lime Pie. If it launches at this time it will be the perfect way to mark the fifth anniversary since the launch of the first Android-based phone, the HTC Dream, whilst signalling exactly just how far the company has come over the past few years.

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/...changer/021954