If you want the latest version of Android, look to Nokia, Samsung, Xiaomi or Huawei

A whitepaper released by Counterpoint Research has today revealed that Nokia is leading the way on updating its smartphone software, including all-important security patches. Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei aren’t too far behind.

According to its data, almost all Nokia smartphones sold since Q3 2018 are running on Android Pie, or have had an Android Pie update issued.

In comparison, only around 25% of the top Android models are updated to the latest Android OS (currently Pie, or Android 9.0).

Following closely behind Nokia in terms of updates are Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei, with a sharp drop from Lenovo onwards (see the above table for percentages).

“Among the top 10 smartphone makers, nearly 96% of Nokia smartphones, sold cumulatively since Q3 2018, is already running on Android Pie or have had an Android Pie update issued to them. Samsung closely follows Nokia with 89% and Xiaomi with 84%. Xiaomi is good at ensuring its mid-price range products launch with the latest version of Android.

“There are a lot of factors that play a role in issuing software updates. But some brands put much more effort into reducing the time lag from the release of the latest Android version to issuing the update to all their smartphones. Only a few brands commit to making sure their smartphones are always running the latest version. Nokia was the fastest brand in issuing the latest software updates covering 94% of its portfolio within a year of the launch of the latest Android version.”

Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Counterpoint Research

In the coming months, users will be hoping to receive Android 10 and this report may help consumers who want the latest software to better make a purchasing decision.

Earlier this month, Huawei showed off its latest version of Emotion UI which will be built on Android 10 and released to a large number of handset users, including many devices from its sub-brand Honor.

• The full whitepaper can be downloaded from the Counterpoint Research portal.