Adoption of Apple's iOS 10 already at 15% in early tracking data

By Roger Fingas

Just 24 hours after launch, adoption of iOS 10 is sitting at 14.86 percent of Apple mobile devices, according to tracking data published on Wednesday.

iOS 9 usage is down to 80.86 percent from a Tuesday peak of 92.81, noted analytics firm Mixpanel. Some 4.29 percent of iOS users are still running iOS 8 or earlier, whether because of device limitations or otherwise. iOS 10 almost instantly eclipsed pre-iOS 9 devices after the software's Tuesday release.

A year ago, iOS 9 managed to reach 12.6 percent of devices in its first 24 hours -- similar to results for iOS 8 in 2014.

It's not clear why iOS 10 is seeing a higher conversion rate. While people may be tempted by the software's features, such as a better notification system and enhanced Messages app, other factors could be involved.

More people may be using compatible hardware for instance, and iOS 9 introduced easier over-the-air updates -- the software can temporarily delete installed apps to clear space, then restore them when an upgrade is complete.