AppleInsider Staff
Adoption numbers for Apple's iOS 8 are leisurely plodding along, with the latest statistics showing 56 percent of users are now running the latest operating system nearly two months after launch.
According to Apple's developer webpage, iOS 8 was running on 56 percent of devices registered to the App Store as of Nov. 10, with iOS 7 share dropping to 40 percent. The numbers compare to a 52 percent share for iOS 8 calculated on Oct. 27.
Looking at readings taken from the preceding weeks, Apple's latest iOS appears to be back on track for growth after experiencing setbacks last month. Over the past two weeks, iOS 8 App Store presence grew four percent. Prior to that, the OS gained five points over a three-week period.
Following initially rapid uptake in line with previous iOS releases, iOS 8 adoption stagnated in early October, growing only one percent over a two-week period. At the time, it was thought that owners of legacy iPhone and iPad models were reluctant to upgrade after hearing reports of launch-day issues and subsequent bugs that disabled cellular connectivity and Touch ID on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets.
Apple most recently released iOS 8.1, which activated Apple Pay for iPhone 6 owners and iCloud Photo Library. The company is currently working on an iOS 8.1.1 point update with bug fixes with various bug fixes and performance improvements.
Malcolm Owen
Christine McKee
Amber Neely
46 Comments
I have updated my iPhone iOS to 8.1, but I've been using my iPad so much I haven't had a chance to dump a shit ton of software and books so I have enough room to update... ...my thinking is that is the prime reason many users haven't updated yet; the 8.1 is just to fat a hog to easily install.
[quote name="Macky the Macky" url="/t/183369/apples-ios-8-now-on-56-of-devices-as-adoption-rate-slowly-picks-up#post_2638160"]I have updated my iPhone iOS to 8.1, but I've been using my iPad so much I haven't had a chance to dump a shit ton of software and books so I have enough room to update... ...my thinking is that is the prime reason many users haven't updated yet; the 8.1 is just to fat a hog to easily install.[/quote] It irritates me no end to see you people complain about a great new OS just because your dinko old devices don't have enough room for it. As if you expect Apple to pander to you slackers. NFWP. Get over it and upgrade or leave.
I am sure most of this change is due ti the sales of new devices. Math examples:
500 MM iOS devices in us3
52% are on iOS 8 on Oct 27 = 260 M devices.
They sell 20 M new iOS 8 devices in the last 3 weeks.
Now 280 M out of 520 M on iS 8 = 53.8 %
To get to 56% about 11 M legacy devices had to upgrade.
A fair number of those are schools with fleet upgrades.
So I don't think the remaining base of consumers is upgrading very quickly.
In my family we have 6 iOS devices. 5 are now upgraded and the last one will take a while. They all required access to a Mac since they were too full to upgrade wirelessly. Had the family not been out of town, there would be no way I could have accessed the lone Mac long enough for upgrades. Each one took a couple of hours.
Imagine all the users without a Mac and their legacy low storage capacities.
[quote name="DanielSW" url="/t/183369/apples-ios-8-now-on-56-of-devices-as-adoption-rate-slowly-picks-up#post_2638164"] It irritates me no end to see you people complain about a great new OS just because your dinko old devices don't have enough room for it. As if you expect Apple to pander to you slackers. NFWP. Get over it and upgrade or leave.[/quote] Looks like 44% of users choose "leave."
[quote name="DanielSW" url="/t/183369/apples-ios-8-now-on-56-of-devices-as-adoption-rate-slowly-picks-up#post_2638164"] It irritates me no end to see you people complain about a great new OS just because your dinko old devices don't have enough room for it. As if you expect Apple to pander to you slackers. NFWP. Get over it and upgrade or leave.[/quote] Well, that is beside the point I would say. If people (you, me, others) are "lazy" they are, regardless if that is good or not. The consequence is slow uptake. As for reasons why it is more work this time (from 7 to 8)... People are taking more and bigger photos / videos? More apps? I do not know. But Apple could know and help by doing automated backup and restore of some content during the upgrade.