Android is not iOS, December 2016 edition

Marshmallow rises while KitKat slowly melts.

December's Android distribution numbers are out, and they're boring. Android is still not iOS, and things don't change in large increments, so haters will still hate and defenders will still hate.

Impressively, Android 6.0 Marshmallow now holds the single version crown with 26.3% share. That takes over Android 4.4 KitKat, the previous leader, which dropped 1.2% to 24% even. Lollipop cumulatively holds the lead with 34%, divided between versions 5.0 and 5.1.

Android distribution numbers, December 2016

Nougat rose a modest 0.1% in the month to 0.4% total, which seems small but with the total Android install base is actually quite a big number. That should increase more quickly when devices like the Galaxy S6, Note 5, and Galaxy S7 begin receiving Nougat en masse in 2017.

Meanwhile versions under KitKat — Jelly Bean, Ice Cream Sandwich, Gingerbread and Froyo — still comprise a ridiculous 15.3% of the install base, and that number is ever-so-slowly dropping as people upgrade their phones and tablets.

Here at AC, the user traffic numbers are very different, with the vast majority of people on either Android 6.0 Marshmallow or 7.0 Nougat. Very few people hold anything below Lollipop.

What version of Android is your phone or tablet running?