Google has published new data that shows the relative number of active devices running the different Android platform versions. With device manufacturers still releasing devices running Android 1.5 (like the Motorola BACKFLIP now available from TELUS), it’s no surprise that this version is still the most common out there.
| Android Platform | Percent of Devices |
| Android 1.1 | 0.1% |
| Android 1.5 | 37.2% |
| Android 1.6 | 29.4% |
| Android 2.0 | 0.3% |
| Android 2.0.1 | 0.6% |
| Android 2.1 | 32.4% |
The data demonstrates the fragmentation that still exists in the Android universe. While Android 2.1 is gaining steam, more than two thirds of devices are still running outdated versions. It certainly makes life interesting for developers who must decide just how compatible with older versions their applications must be. As for Android users, that leaves a lot of us unable to use certain applications (like the new Twitter for Android application available only for Android 2.1).
Google’s data is based on the number of Android devices that have accessed Android Market within the 14-day period that just ended on May 3rd.