Android KitKat adoption boosts, beats Ice Cream Sandwich finally

13.6 percent of all Android smartphone and tabletscombined are now running the 4.4 KitKat platform. According to new data which has just been released by Google, the latest version of Android OS has finally beaten Ice Cream Sandwich, but it has of course not been able to challenge the Jelly Bean variant which occupies space on most of the affordable smartphones from around the world.

This release of data seems quite like an answer to Apple’s revelation at the ongoing WWDC of iOS 7being present on 89 percent of all iPhones, whereas Android KitKat only possessing a 9 percent installed base. According to numbers release by Google, between May and June Android 4.4.x KitKat rose by 5.1 percent to reach 13.6 percent from 8.5 percent.

Furthermore, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean has also seen a small amount of growth from last month’s 8.5 percent to 10.3 percent. The same fate stands for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean which gained pretty little as opposed to the 4.1 Jelly Bean version which lost 4.5 percent to land at 29 percent from last month’s 33.5 percent.

Right now, it is this particular version which occupies the largest share in the Android devicesarena. As expected, adoption of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has decreased by 1.1 percent, and it now occupies space on just 12.3 percent of all Android devices worldwide.

As compared to iOS, Android updates face delays and are cancelled for many devices due to fragmentation. KitKat’s rise will come as good news to Google since that means more devices become eligible for its rumored 4.5 or probably 5.0 Lollipop update that’s apparently slated for this year.

Google to add Celkon and Intex to its India Android One partner list

Google’s Android One project could be getting new partners in India as Celkon Mobiles and Intex are said to be in talks with the search giant. So far, Karbonn, Spice and Micromax are scheduled to launch handsets under the program in the coming months and we could see the roster increase as other OEMs are looking to join the bandwagon.

Google announced the Android One initiative during its I/O conference last month with an aim to offer highly affordable smartphones in emerging markets. The search giant is basically aiming at $99 devices and it has partnered with MediaTek to develop reference designs which will be used for these handsets.

ET notes that Celkon Mobiles is a done deal as the fourth partner in the program. However, Intex is yet to secure its position as the fifth member and it’ll disclose the final outcome in the next 15 to 20 days. The former has confirmed that its first smartphones in the series will be out sometime during Diwali which will take place in the month of October.

There are no details about the handset, but we expect it to be similar to the Micromax one which was showcased at the I/O conference. In the Android One project, Google will basically provide OEMs with hardware and software support to reduce the overall production cost of devices. These handsets will offer a pure Android experience like Nexus phones and software updates will be issued directly from the search giant.

The Android One project will materialize in India and will be made available in other locations around the globe in the near future. With Intex and Celkon onboard, the total number of OEMs will increase to 5.