Android 2014: Updates Put Jelly Bean And KitKat On the Rise, Decrease Defragmentation And Enable New OpenGL ES Version
Android Jelly Bean and KitKat versions are now rising smoothly leaving other generations to slip down. Manufacturers are finally adopting with newer Android versions and pushing updates to the owners of several Android devices such as Galaxy and Xperia brands.
Jelly Bean And KitKat Age
Former stable Android versions, Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich, begin to slip down in the Android pie chart, according to the latest report from Google of Android version distribution numbers.
Android 4.4.X KitKat gains 1.4 percent, which runs current Nexus devices, HTC One Developer and Google Play editions, LG G2 and G Pad 8.3. Android 4.1 to 4.3 Jelly Beans reached 7.8 percent common among mid-range and local brand manufacturers' release.
Android 4.0.X holds 16.9 percent and continues to drop due to software updates with Android Jelly Bean. Android 2.3X remains with 21.2 percent total shares and Android Froyo drops to 1.3 percent on overall Android devices. Android 3.2 Honeycomb is still surviving as the sole-tablet Android version at 0.1 percent on the pie chart.
Screen Size Distribution
Defragmentation caused by screen size distribution are still affecting Android devices and 78 percent of these devices have normal screen with hdpi pixel density on the 33 percent of it.
Android 4.4 KitKat aims to solve the defragmentation by making it run on most devices using a single limitation, 512 MB RAM instead of screen size or resolution. However, manufacturers, including Google, won't update smartphones and tablets to Android KitKat with expired 18-month update window period.
OpenGL ES
OpenGL ES has been an update on Android Jelly Bean and KitKat to version 3.0, which is required to better render animations and feature improved graphics used for apps and games.
According to Google's report, OpenGL ES version 1.0 holds 0.1 percent of all Android devices followed by version 2.0 with 93.5 percent then version 3.0 with 6.4 percent and growing. Devices running Android 4.3 and 4.4 versions are supporting the latest OpenGL ES 3.0 version.
Owners should at least get Android 4.3 Jelly Bean if not Android 4.4 to get the most benefits and features from Google's most popular operating system. Android 4.3 allows the device as well to get a chance to receive Android 4.4 in the future which will happen on Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.