Google I/O 2021 is presently ongoing, this year on a virtual basis due to the prevailing COVID 19 pandemic. One of the fallouts from the ongoing event is the announcement that active devices running the Android operating system have gone beyond 3 billion.

 

Google’s Vice President of product management, Sameer Samat, broke the news of the milestone during the virtual event. The estimates were obtained via Google Play Store records which means it could even be higher than the current estimates considering that there are millions of Android devices not preinstalled with Google Play Store. For instance, Huawei smartphones, Amazon Fire devices, etc. These Android devices could account for a considerable quantum of active Android devices.

 

This new disclosure means 500 million Android users were added since the 2019 Google I/O Developers Conference. However, 1 billion active users have been added since 2017 when the estimates crossed the 2 billion mark.

 

The hugely conservative estimate of active Android devices shows the prevalence and growth of Android applications globally. The numbers far eclipsed that of active iOS devices, which Apple put at just above a billion. Android will maintain its leading position in years to come as Google continues to reinvent the wheel of the Android ecosystem.

 

During the event, Google announced the next-generation Android 12 operating system and rolled out a list of eligible models that will get the beta update. In addition, the versatility of the Android OS continues to be seen with its application to an ever-growing array of solutions from TVs, smartphones, and a bevy of smart home appliances.