Google releases a new version of Android each year, but mobile device vendors and carriers can take time to roll out the latest software update to their handsets and tablets. Google is rumored to shame Android device makers who are late in pushing out updates.
Android is the world's leading mobile operating system. According to a Gartner report, more than 80 percent of smartphones sold in the final quarter of 2015 were running on Android. Apple's iPhones are among one of the most popular mobile phones in the market, but iOS device sales during the period accounted for about 18 percent.
Although Android has a bigger market share, the adoption rate of its latest operating system is very low. Google blames mobile device vendors for not releasing software updates to its devices swiftly.
A Bloomberg report cites sources familiar with the matter and suggests that Google has prepared a list of Android mobile device vendors with a timeline of how they roll out Android software updates to their devices. The list is currently private but Google is considering making it public to shame vendors.
Google is also said to be working with carriers to reduce the lengthy waiting times of a new software release. Google suggests that security updates are very important for customers as they safeguard devices from latest vulnerabilities.
Stagefright left about a billion mobile devices vulnerable to hackers. Stagefright shook the Android ecosystem, which led Google to start releasing monthly Android security patches to its Nexus devices. Other smartphone makers such as Samsung and LG also committed to roll out monthly updates but they have struggled to release updates for all of their phones.
The Nexus 6P and the Nexus 5X launched in end-September 2015 were the first devices to come running on Google's latest operating system - Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Google rolled out the software to its Nexus devices in October 2015.
Manufacturers and carriers have been rolling out Android 6.0 Marshmallow to their devices, but according to Android, only 7.5 percent of Android devices are running on the new operating system.
More than 35 percent of all Android devices are still running on Android 5.0 Lollipop, which was released in 2014. About 32 percent of Android phones and tablets are still using Android 4.4 KitKat, which is nearly three years old.
Comparatively, Apple's iOS has a much better adoption rate. The company released the latest iOS 9 in September 2015 and 84 percent of iOS devices have migrated to the new software.
Photo: Tsahi Levent-Levi | Flickr
