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android now powers 3b devices

AVATAR Frederic Lardinois
Frederic Lardinois
Editor
May 18, 2021
android now powers 3b devices

Android Reaches 3 Billion Active Devices

Google has revealed that its Android operating system is currently powering 3 billion active devices globally. This announcement was made during the company’s annual I/O developer conference, held virtually this year.

Tablet Usage on the Rise

Prior to the main event, Google highlighted that 250 million Android tablets were actively used in the past year. This figure potentially surpasses previous estimates and underscores Google’s renewed emphasis on large-screen devices, as evidenced by the focus at I/O 2024.

Growth Trajectory

Google customarily shares updated device statistics at I/O. However, due to the cancellation of the 2020 event, no such update was provided for that year.

The last reported number was 2.5 billion active devices in May 2019. This represented an increase from 2 billion devices in 2017.

The current growth rate suggests a consistent addition of approximately 500 million new devices to the Android ecosystem every two years.

Comparison with Apple

For context, Apple reported in January that its installed base comprises 1 billion iPhones. The total number of active devices within the Apple ecosystem currently stands at 1.65 billion, a rise from 1.5 billion a year earlier.

This figure encompasses all active Apple products, not solely iPhones.

#android#mobile devices#operating system#3 billion devices#android statistics

Frederic Lardinois

Frederic's Extensive Tech Journalism Career

From 2012 to 2025, Frederic contributed significantly to TechCrunch as a journalist.

Beyond his tenure at TechCrunch, he demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit by establishing SiliconFilter.

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Frederic’s writing portfolio also includes contributions to ReadWriteWeb, which is now known as ReadWrite.

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Frederic also provides coverage of developer tools, alongside insights into the strategies of major players like Google and Microsoft.

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His journalistic approach is characterized by a wide-ranging curiosity and a commitment to informing readers about emerging trends.

Frederic Lardinois