Android 2.3 Gingerbread overtakes Android 2.2 Froyo

SOFTWARE GIANT Google's Android 2.3 Gingerbread has, at long last, over taken Android 2.2 Froyo to be the most used version of the operating system.

It has taken almost a year since its launch but Android 2.3 Gingerbread is now the version of Android that most users are on. The latest figures show that across all its editions, 2.3 to 2.3.7, it accounts for 44.4 per cent of Android devices.

Android 2.2 Froyo was in the lead for what seemed like forever but is now behind at 40.7 per cent. Whilst some smartphones have come pre-loaded with a form of Gingerbread, many have been put on the market with Froyo and a promise of an update.

This is true for phones such as the LG Optimus 2X and Optimus 3D for which LG is finally rolling out an update this month. The firm didn't want to delay getting the handsets on the shelves by opting for Gingerbread.

Android 3.0 to 3.2 Honeycomb, which is made specifically for tablets, is loaded on just 1.9 per cent of Android devices. We're somewhat astonished to report that a total of 13 per cent of users are still on Android versions that predate Froyo.

The next version of Android, 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, is almost out so we wonder how long it will take for it to overtake Gingerbread and Honeycomb. This version is designed for smartphones and tablets but new devices are still predominantly being announced and shipped with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, such as the Motorola Xoom 2 tablet. µ