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These stats are based on people visiting the Google Play store. They are almost meaningless. I have an Android phone that works perfectly well and is paid for

These stats are based on people visiting the Google Play store. They are almost meaningless. I have an Android phone that works perfectly well and is paid for; I don't have money to burn to buy a new phone. I got it after I bought a Windows 7 computer - which will likely be updated for many years to come. When purchsed, the phone cost almost as much as my computer did. However ... the phone is running version 2.3.3 and can not be upgraded (and has not been updated for a few years now). And most new apps do not support this Android version (and have not for a few years now) so I have given up on visiting the Google Play store. My wife has an identical phone and has not bothered either trying to get new apps for a few years now. It's a "non-issue" only because Google (which I generally support) has a shitty policy when it comes to supporting old versions of their products.

Zigurd 12y ago
Statistics based on visits to the Google Play store are certainly not meaningless. If you have a Kindle device you don't have this problem. Or, if you have a phone in China that's AOSP-based but using a Chinese portal's ecosystem you are probably running their browser. That leaves you among the small percentage who are in the Google ecosystem, but running an old version of Android. perhaps it was Google fault for OK'ing Google logo devices with trailing-edge OS versions when you bought your phone. But they've fixed that now with Android One and the inexpensive Moto phone. And, on top of that, if you really want a newer version of Android without buying a new phone, there's a decent chance that CyanogenMod or other aftermarket releases support your device. Google has never stopped anyone from "bootlegging" the Google ecosystem into such configurations.
notatoad 12y ago
The stats are reported by google play services running on your phone, not by actual visits to the play store. As long as your phone can access the play store, it gets counted.
richm44 12y ago
Actually normal support for windows 7 ended this month. You're only getting security updates for that now, not new features.

Zigurd 12y ago

Statistics based on visits to the Google Play store are certainly not meaningless. If you have a Kindle device you don't have this problem. Or, if you have a phone in China that's AOSP-based but using a Chinese portal's ecosystem you are probably running their browser. That leaves you among the small percentage who are in the Google ecosystem, but running an old version of Android. perhaps it was Google fault for OK'ing Google logo devices with trailing-edge OS versions when you bought your phone. But they've fixed that now with Android One and the inexpensive Moto phone. And, on top of that, if you really want a newer version of Android without buying a new phone, there's a decent chance that CyanogenMod or other aftermarket releases support your device. Google has never stopped anyone from "bootlegging" the Google ecosystem into such configurations.

notatoad 12y ago

The stats are reported by google play services running on your phone, not by actual visits to the play store. As long as your phone can access the play store, it gets counted.

richm44 12y ago

Actually normal support for windows 7 ended this month. You're only getting security updates for that now, not new features.