Nokia dominates Android updates with 96% of its phones running Android Pie

What you need to know

• Nokia ranks first out of the top 10 smartphone manufacturers in updating its phones.
• Since Q3 2018, 96% of Nokia phones have been updated to Android Pie.
• The rest of the top five include Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Lenovo.

A new report from Counterpoint Research shows that, when it comes to Android updates, Nokia leads the pack. However, it's important to note this report only covers the top ten Android manufacturers. As such, brands like OnePlus, Essential, and Google are left out — despite all of them having good track records when it comes to updates.

The findings of the report found that nearly 96% of Nokia phones sold since Q3 of 2018 are running Android Pie, putting Nokia in first place. The rest of the top five is rounded out by Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Lenovo.

Unfortunately, LG is sitting all the way back at 8th place with an embarrassingly low 16% of its phones running Android Pie.

Not only is Nokia number one when it comes to updating its phones, but it also ranks as the fastest to do so. The Counterpoint Research graph shows that Nokia has moved faster than any other of the top ten brands at pushing out the Android Pie update.

The graph also places Lenovo in second for speed and Samsung comes in third. Even so, both brands fall far behind Nokia when it comes to the number of phones they updated within a year of Android Pie's release.

The reasons other brands lag behind Nokia come down to a couple of main reasons — one of them being that the other brands have a larger portfolio of devices. Another factor is that these brands focus more on supporting flagship models, while often leaving the mid-range or entry-level phones behind when it comes to updates.

That is one area that Nokia has excelled, but it's also important to note that many of Nokia's phones are part of the Android One program which guarantees two years of updates.

Updates are becoming more and more important these days, with most of us having our entire lives on our phones, including sensitive information like our financials. It's important that we have the most up-to-date security, and this shouldn't be reserved for only flagship or even mid-range phones. Security is important for everyone at all price levels, and it's nice to know that at least Nokia is doing what it can to offer top-notch software support for all of its phones — regardless of price.