Google's Android smartphone platform is commonly criticized because the majority of devices do not use the latest versions of the software. That is unlikely to change soon, as findings reveal that the latest version, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, is used on just over one percent of devices.

Research firm Chitika compiled the results from "millions" of devices, according to Android Community. It revealed that Jelly Bean's market share sat at 0.87 percent at the end of July. It rose to 1.47 percent by the end of August.

The introduction of the software on the Jelly Bean-enabled Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7, as well as updates for devices like the Samsung Galaxy S3, brings wider support. However, despite companies like Sony approving updates for their devices, many carriers have blocked releases. UK carrier O2 said that it found in testing of Xperia devices that they did not run Jelly Bean optimally.

Findings earlier in the year revealed that Android 2.3 Gingerbread, released in 2010, is the most popular version of Android, used on over 60 percent of devices; the share has since declined to 54 percent. In second place was Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with Jelly Bean taking third.

Jelly Bean is not the major update that Ice Cream Sandwich was. It refines the design, but mainly introduces new features like Google Now. It took Ice Cream Sandwich three months to take a 1.54 percent share. Jelly Bean sees the same momentum, though consumers may cite competitors like Apple and its fast update process. iOS 6 is available today for iPhone 4S, 4, and 3GS just three months after its announcement. The flagship device for the operating system, iPhone 5, was announced Sept. 12.

Impatient users can look for unofficial means of updating, but problems are the responsibility of the user, especially if devices are not updating because of lagging hardware.