Android Nougat Usage Numbers Show Windows 10-like Problem of Adoption

Android Nougat adoption rate

It seems that Windows 10 is not the only operating system that’s having trouble being adopted by users. Data for Android Nougat shows that only 0.5% of all Android devices are on the latest operating system, and even those are only on Android 7.0 Nougat. Google Pixel smartphones running Android 7.1.x Nougat came in at a paltry 0.2% of the total.

Why is adoption so abysmal for Google’s latest operating system?

As with Microsoft’s Windows 10, the problem may be resolved during the course of 2017, when devices will come with Android Nougat out of the box. It seems that this is the only way for the new OS version to increase usage base.

The same thing is happening to Windows 10 as well. Of course, it’s not the same thing because Windows is not free, and Android is. But even during its free upgrade period that ended July 29, Windows 10 did not see the kind of adoption rates the company was hoping for.

Our own calculations based on various sources showed that Windows 10 was on no more than between 20% and 25% globally, and that includes both individual and commercial usage.

SEE: Windows 10 Adoption Rates Still Low

Android seems to be having a similar problem but in greater measure. Of course, the fact that most 2017 smartphones will come with Android 7.0 Nougat will help bridge the gap between Nougat usage and that of older versions, especially Android 6.0 Marshmallow that currently rules with a 29.6% market share of the Android segment.




Note that I’m not counting Android 5.0 and 5.1 Lollipop’s combined user base of 33.4%, since that’s spread out over two versions. Also, device limitations won’t let the bulk of these users go beyond 5.x.

Still, even with newer devices running Nougat, that will only take the usage percentage up a few notches. It’s very unlikely that Nougat will be able to topple Marshmallow from its pole position. To draw another Microsoft analogy, Nougat is the Windows 7 of the Android world. With more than 45% of desktop users still running Windows 7, that’s been one of the biggest challenges to Windows 10 adoption.

If that’s the case, then Android 6.0 Marshmallow could quite possibly be Google’s own Windows 7!




Both Windows 10 and Android 7.0 Nougat have brought new user experiences to the market, so why are both struggling with abysmal early adoption?

One possible answer is that a lot of people have gotten accustomed to the older versions. Marshmallow may not have as many features as Nougat or be as fast as Nougat, but it’s what nearly a third of Android device users are comfortable with.

When you think about it, I could just as well be referring to desktops running Windows 7. It’s not as secure as Windows 10 and doesn’t have any of the new capabilities like 3D or holographic support, but its what more than 45% of desktop users are comfortable with.




That said, 2017 should be the turnaround year for both Google’s Android Nougat and Microsoft’s Windows 10. Both are robust operating systems and both come from their respective lines of dominant OS families. Pedigree, you might say.

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Source: Google