80% of Android phones use outdated versions

Outdated Android versions are leaving behind, number of users with their Android mobile phones. It does not mean that they stop working, but they do stop being safe. It's been years since Android 6 began to reach smartphones around the world. Now, the version that most users expect is Android Oreo. However, the arrival of new versions of the operating system on mobile phones is slower than usual, to the point that 80% of phones use obsolete versions.

The difficulty in accessing the latest versions is one of the great criticisms made of Android mobiles, since, for example, in iOS, practically any terminal can access the latest version quickly and directly. However, on Android we find that not all smartphones can install Android 6, which is a major problem for many users, who want to have their android device up to date.

Having an old version of Android, source of problems

Why don't you upgrade old Android mobile phones?

The reason why only 20% of users can enjoy the latest version of Android depends largely on the manufacturers and brands. Many times they do as many tests to make sure they work well, that end up updating phones and tablets with excessive delay.

On other occasions, the manufacturer brands of Android phones, play with the versions of the operating system as a strategy of marketing. In other words, if a user who has a smartphone that is a year or two old sees that his model is not going to be updated, it is likely that he will end up opting for buy a new mobile. Therefore, many models that have the technical capabilities to update, never get to see the latest versions of Android. It's like a push to buy another new model, re-scheduled obsolescence.

Problems of not updating to the latest version of Android

It is true that the differences between one version of Android and another are not usually too great, so many might think that not updating is not a big problem.

However, the truth is that in addition to the visible changes in each new version of Android, improvements are made around the fullfilment of security requirements. Therefore, a person who has an outdated version is much more likely to have problems with viruses or malware than someone who has the latest version, since they are much improved in terms of security, having fixed holes and bugs, optimization and performance.

What are the outdated Android versions?

The obsolete Android versions are all those that are below Android 7 Nougat. And it is not that we say it, it is that Google no longer supports this obsolete version of Android, nor the previous versions. Therefore, Google is no longer obligated to provide security patches and updates to this version of Android or its predecessors.

Android versions not supported by Google, obsolete:

• Android 7 Nougat
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• Android Lollipop 5.0
• 4.4 Android KitKat
• 4.1 Android Jelly Bean
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Android Honeycomb 3.0
• 2.3 Android Gingerbread
• 2.2 Android Froyo
• Android 2.0 Eclair
• Android 1.6 Donut
• Android 1.5
• Android 1.0

It is at this point, a system version is obsolete, when the company that supports it stops doing so. This does not mean that mobile phones or tablets that have that version of Android stop working, but it does mean that they are exposed to possible security holes, since they are "out of print" and do not receive security updates.

Android is deprecated also because of the following

Another point to know when an Android version is outdated is when we see the announcement that many secure web pages will stop working on devices with Android versions prior to 7.1.1 Nougat. This is what happens.

Nonprofit security certificate organization Let's Encrypt recently announced that its partnership with certificate authority IdenTrust will end on September 1, 2021. With no renewal plans, Let's Encrypt plans to switch entirely to its own root certificate and stop make cross signals by default for the IdenTrust on January 11th. This means that many websites with this type of HTTPS security, will no longer be version compatible older Android.

This could end up being a problem. As Let's Encrypt points out, 33,8 percent of Android devices are running these old or outdated versions of the operating system. Those devices will experience certificate errors when trying to visit many pages starting in 2021.

So, if you've been thinking of upgrading your old Android phone, now might be a good time before it becomes obsolete.

Do you have the latest version of Android or do you have any of the outdated Android versions? Have you experienced improvements thanks to updating your mobile phone or tablet? We invite you to tell us about it in the comments section, at the bottom of the page.