72% of Android smartphone buy More than half or 64% of Android smartphones shipped in the India market in 2015 featured the ageing Android KitKat OS, which is close to three years old, CyberMedia Research (CMR) said in its latest report, titled "State of Mobile Operating System Adoption in India".
The report further added that 72% of Android smartphone buyers did not receive an update to the latest Android OS or its latest features at the time of purchase in the calendar year 2015.
"The key reason for the delay in sending updates to existing Android smartphones is that handset vendors prefer to launch new models, rather than focus on updating existing ones to provide a consistent user experience. Of course, this comes with the rider that wherever it is essential and critical to send an update, they do not remain selective," Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst, Telecoms at CMR, said in a statement.
The study was conducted across 158 different Smartphone brands and covered 1,476 device models.
With increase in commoditisation of hardware features owing to competitive pressures, Kawoosa said that smartphone vendors will need to start focusing on creating differentiation through user experience enabled by OS and software features.
"Typically, a consumer nowadays needs to purchase a premium priced Smartphone to access the latest Android OS or software-enabled features," he added.
The report also delved into the other layers of Smartphone software - the various Custom ROMs such as Cyanogen and Oxygen, and UIs like MiUI and TouchWiz.
In 2015, just 2.3% of smartphones shipped in India were equipped with a custom ROM - Cyanogen or Oxygen. Despite custom ROM offering deeper levels of customisation, it is largely left for more tech-savvy users to 'fiddle' with the device, giving them a more personalised experience, the study said.
Over 95% of smartphones shipped during the year were loaded with a proprietary UI from the handset vendor that not only allows users flexibility to personalise widgets like apps and subscriptions but also serves as a visible differentiator for brands.
http://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/64-android-smartphone-with-ageing-kitkat-os-shipped-in-india-last-year-cmr/50846273
