Google Inc. introduced its next generation operating system, the Ice Cream Sandwich, last November with Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Nexus smartphone. The new update was stylish, improved user interface and introduced the Android Beam and face unlock features. The ICS should have been adopted by most Android devices, but according to data released by Android developers, ICS is only active on just 0.6 percent of all Android devices worldwide.

The latest Android distribution numbers are based on Google's count of devices that have accessed the Android Market over a two-week period that ended last Tuesday. It's not clear how many devices the 0.6 percent accounts for, but some are estimating that there could be 1.2 million Android smartphones running Ice Cream Sandwich.

Why the slow start for what could be the best Android version to date? The low penetration of Ice Cream Sandwich can certainly be attributed to the fact that ICS is only available on one device, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which launched in the U.S. only Dec. 15. The source code for ICS was only made available for developers and manufacturers. OEMs and carriers need time before they can release the update.

Google is probably taking its time with the updates to sort out any bugs with the initial release. By releasing the ICS to just one phone, early adopters can spot any issues with the OS. Google then has the leeway to make the product better for mainstream users. Any bugs discovered with the initial release can be excused because it's only a "beta" release. With the ICS the supposed answer to Android fragmentation by being able to work on both tablets and smartphones, Google wants to get this version right.

The ICS is expected on a lot of phones this year so expect those numbers to change and quickly. There will be a lot of announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week about which phones will get updates and when they'll roll out. Several companies like Samsung, Motorola and Sony have all announced upgrade plans for existing devices still running older Android operating systems.

The most popular Android version is still Android 2.3 Gingerbread, which was released in December 2010. Gingerbread runs on 55.5 percent of all Android devices. Froyo is in second place with 30.4 percent. The depressing figure from the Android distribution chart is the number for the tablet-specific OS Honeycomb. It came in with a meager 3.3 percent share, which shows that Android tablets are really struggling in the market against the Apple iPad.