Android in 2023: most used versions, brands, and browsers

Uptodown— the renowned mobile app download platform— has conducted a comprehensive study on the habits of its 132 million users worldwide.

The data provides an overview of the most widely used mobile browsers, operating systems, and device models.

The browser war has a winner

Google Chrome celebrates a decade as the top browser on Android thanks to being included by default preinstalled on most marketed devices, having added two points (85.5%) over last year. Samsung’s official browser is the second most used, with 3.70%, due to the brand’s predominance among users. Opera (1.74%), UC Browser (0.70%), and Mozilla Firefox (0.65%) make up the top 5.

• Google Chrome 85.5%
• Samsung Internet Browser 3.70%
• Opera 1.74%
• UC Browser 0.70%
• Mozilla Firefox 0.65%

While it is not surprising that Google Chrome leads the mobile browser market with an overwhelming 85.5% share of worldwide usage, it is interesting to note the presence of Samsung Internet Browser, which has managed to capture 3.70% of users— a significant growth that can be attributed to Samsung’s strategy of pre-installing its browser on its mobile devices, offering users a convenient and personalized alternative for browsing the Internet.

Android does not solve its fragmentation problem

The results confirm the trend of recent years in terms of a decline in the rate at which users are renewing their handsets. Android 11 (20.89%) remains, for the second year in a row, the most widespread OS version today, which is striking considering that two stable versions of the OS have subsequently been released. The last of these— Android 13— is in second position with 17.23%, followed by Android 12 (12.95%), Android 10 (12.34%), and Android 9 (8.14%). The fact that the predominant versions include a release that is almost five years old is, in a way, a burden when preserving safety and performance standards on the platform.

• Android 11 20.89%
• Android 13 17.23%
• Android 12 12.95%
• Android 10 12.34%
• Android 9 8.14%

On the other hand, considering that the study was conducted in June 2023, it indicates that Android 13 has managed to quickly gain a considerable user base in a short period since its launch, attributed to the expectation of improvements in performance, security, and new features that drive users who can afford it to upgrade their handsets to its latest available version.

In summary, the rapid adoption of Android 13 and the persistence of versions as far back as Android 9 reflect the wide variety of devices worldwide.

One in four cell phones is Samsung

Samsung is by far the manufacturer with the most significant number of devices on the street both in share and in the diversity of terminals currently on the market, with almost a third of the market (31.51%), which shows the continued popularity and consumer preference for this brand’s devices, backed by their quality, innovation and wide range of options to meet users’ needs.

Xiaomi (18.73%), Huawei (18.73%), OPPO (5.92%), and Vivo (5.41%) keep fighting, with the latter two increasing their share from last year when they first entered the top. These brands, originating in China, have gained ground in the global mobile device market and attracted a considerable user base over the past two years.

Interestingly, the most widespread devices among the Android platform are not those of the dominant group. Xiaomi and its Redmi 9, 9A, and Note 8 models are the most used, increasing the manufacturer’s presence by almost two points compared to 2022. Beyond the top 5, Infinix enters the top 10 most used brands for the first time, with a 2.99% share.

 

• Samsung 31.51%
• Xiaomi 18.73%
• Huawei 10.04%
• OPPO 5.92%
• Vivo 5.41%

These data underscore the diversity of preferences and the high level of competition in the mobile device market.

Other information of interest

The screen resolution most used by users is 360×800 (14.96%), followed by 360×640 (10.41%). As for the type of Android device used, 94.95% use smartphones, 4.64% tablets, and 0.98% Android TV.

The results of this study reflect the preferences of millions of users around the world and provide valuable insight into current trends in most used mobile browsers, operating systems, and device models.

Uptodown thrills on providing objective and reliable data to understand the global digital outlook better and help developers and businesses make informed decisions about their mobile app development and distribution strategies. Traffic data from Uptodown users worldwide between January 1 and June 23, 2023, was used to compile this report. In the case of the most used versions of Android, only statistics obtained between June 19 and June 23, 2023, have been used, given the constant evolution in the operating system’s update rate.

For more information about this study and the services offered by Uptodown, visit their website at www.en.uptodown.com

Data:

• Google Chromemaintains its total dominance in the mobile browser arena, with a market share of over 85%.
• Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei are the three most used brands.
• Fragmentation in the Android operating system is the biggest problem on the platform.