Android 5.0 Lollipop adoption disappointing so far

Google's latest operating system, Android 5.0 Lollipop, is currently only running on around 0.1 per cent of handsets, according to new data.

The software was released in November but has not made its way onto people's devices as quickly as hoped, and - as a result - has not even placed in Google's chart of Android versions currently in use.

According to the figures, 4.4 KitKat comes first with 33.9 per cent, followed by 4.1 Jelly Bean with 21.3 per cent, 4.2 Jelly Bean with 20.4 per cent, 2.3 Gingerbread with 9.1 per cent and 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with 7.8 per cent making up the rest of the top five.

Though the case of Lollipop seems extreme, adoption of new operating systems has been slowing down across the board. By 13 November, the number of Apple devices running iOS 8 hit 56 per cent, but this is markedly slower than the rate of growth for iOS 7 in the same period. It has since dropped slightly, too, to 47 per cent.

And people aren't abandoning Android, as the smaller than expected number of users jumping ship to the iPhone 6 Plus proved.

Part of the problem may come down to Google's slightly awkward way of rolling out new operating systems, with Android 5.0 Lollipop becoming available on different handsets at different times, leading to a more gradual uptake from users.

In June, head of IDC's European mobility team John Delaney spoke at Microsoft's Business Transformed event, touting Windows Phone as being in a position to take on its competitors in the enterprise sector.

He said: "iOS is only available on two devices, both of which are expensive to purchase, and which also tend to run up higher mobile data bills.

"Android is fragmented and inconsistent between different device brands, and even between different models in a single brand's device range. There are also concerns about the security of Android, such as its high level of exposure to malware."