Kitkat now runs on more than a fifth of active Android devices

ANDROID 4.4 KITKAT is now running on more than a fifth of active Android devices, Google's latest usage data statistics reveal.

Google's usage statistics examined active Android devices during a seven day period ending 12 August, and reveal that the latest version, Android 4.4 Kitkat, has seen bumper growth since its July figures were released. Android 4.4 Kitkat now commands 20.9 percent of Android devices, which means that it can be found on over a fifth of active Android smartphones and tablets, up from the 17.9 percent it claimed in July.

Kitkat's growth can likely be credited to the recent slew of incoming flagship Android smartphones, such as the LG G3 and HTC One M8, and the rollout of the latest version of Android to older smartphones and tablets.

While Kitkat is finally making moves, it's still not close to closing the gap between it and Android 4.x Jelly Bean, which held on to a 55.3 percent slice of the market during the first week of August, down slightly from July's 56.5 percent. What's more, the oldest version - Android 4.1.x Jelly Bean - remains the most popular with a 26.5 percent share, with Android 4.2.x Jelly Bean coming in at 19.8 percent, and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean at 7.9 percent.

Older versions of the operating system are managing to cling on too, with Android 4.0.x Ice Cream Sandwich still claiming a 10.6 percent share of devices, while Android 2.3.x Gingerbread tops it with a 13.6 percent share. This is down from 11.4 percent and 14.9 percent last month, respectively.

Android 2.2 Froyo still finds itself on 0.7 percent of devices too, with its share remaining unchanged compared to July.

Google's Android market share figures likely will become more fragmented later this year, with the firm set to roll out its latest mobile operating system release, Android L, this autumn. µ