Google's Android 4.4 KitKat mobile operating system saw its market share rise in April, reaching 8.5% of all Android devices, Digital Spy said.

The firm's latest figures suggest that its most recent OS remains in the shadow of its predecessor Jelly Bean (versions 4.1 to 4.3), which accounts for 60% of the market.

The data also confirms that Android Gingerbread (versions 2.3.3 to 2.3.7) is still going strong, with a combined stake of 16.2%.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is installed on 13.4% of devices, while the age-old Froyo is estimated to account for 1% of the market.

Although the roll-out of KitKat has been staggered, Google's latest mobile OS is expected to experience considerable gains over the coming months as the latest crop of Android flagships receives updates from manufacturers.

Google's latest data also indicates that both screen sizes and resolutions are seeing an upward trend.