People Have Pretty Much Stopped Updating Their iPhones To iOS 8

Bavaria

JF-Expert Member
Jun 14, 2011
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Apple has updated its App Store to show new statistics for iOS 8, its new mobile operating system. It's not looking good.
9to5Mac reports that iOS 8 adoption has increased by just 1% since Apple last published statistics on the operating system. To make things worse, the statistic that Apple published on its developer site excludes a large number of users who are known to be slow in updating to the latest operating system.
Since Sept. 21, the percentage of mobile devices visiting the App Store running iOS 8 has increased to 47% from 46%.
Here's Apple's old iOS chart. On the right is the new statistic:
app-store-ios-8-marketshare.jpg
9to5Mac
The slow adoption of iOS 8 could be due to the broken update that Apple published on Sept. 24. The iOS 8.0.1 update was meant to include improvements and fixes for the iPhone, but instead it stopped users of the new iPhone from making calls and disabled the Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
We're only a few days into iOS 8 adoption, so there is still a long way to go. But the way that more than half of Apple's customers have balked at the new system shows that the broken update was much more serious than perhaps previously believed: A large number of Apple customers are resisting the update because they saw the news that the newer version disabled people's phones. It's rare for Apple's customers to show such a mistrust of Apple's new products.
Having all its customers on the same, current platform is crucial for Apple. Microsoft foundered during the mid-2000s when customers grew tired of updating their Windows PC operating system to ever more glitchy versions. And Google's Android platform is regarded as a second-place format by app developers because of the "fragmentation" of its user base across several older Android versions.
Mac Rumors reports that adoption of iOS 8 has been significantly slower than iOS 7, Apple's previous mobile operating system. Analysis of iPhone users last year revealed that after 20 days, 69.7% of customers had updated. iOS 8, however, is at just 47% adoption among Apple customers.
It's also important to remember that Apple measures iOS 8 adoption in a slightly misleading way. It tracks the operating systems only of people visiting the App Store from their devices. While that does give an overview, it ignores the vast number of users who never visit the App Store. A 2013 survey revealed that 65.5% of US smartphone owners download absolutely no apps each month. That means they won't be visiting the App Store either, hiding them from Apple's official iOS adoption statistic.
 
[h=1]iOS 8 Adoption Stagnates Just Two and a Half Weeks After Launch[/h] Monday October 6, 2014 5:54 pm PDT by Juli Clover
After almost three weeks of availability, Apple's iOS 8 operating system is now installed on 47 percent of devices, according to new numbers posted on Apple's App Store support page for developers.

That marks a very slight increase in adoption over the past two weeks, as back on September 21, iOS 8 was installed on 46 percent of devices. 47 percent of iOS users continue to stick to iOS 7, possibly due to a number of bugs that have plagued the launch of iOS 8.

ios8adoptionnumbers.jpg

Just ahead of the launch of iOS 8, all HealthKit-enabled apps were pulled from the App Store due to a major HealthKit bug. A fix was quickly released, but the update, iOS 8.0.1, disabled the cellular service and Touch ID functionality on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices.

iOS 8.0.2 fixed the problems introduced with iOS 8.0.1 and brought several other bug fixes, but the publicity surrounding the iOS 8.0.1 issue may have discouraged some users from updating.

Along with the critical bug introduced with iOS 8.0.1, several other problems have come to light. An iCloud Drive issue with the "Reset All Settings" option causes iCloud Drive documents to be deleted from iCloud, and multiple users have experienced problems with Bluetooth. Furthermore, iOS 8 users have complained of other issues with the operating system, including slow wi-fi speeds and excessive battery drain.

Apple's iOS 8 adoption numbers closely mirror data from Mixpanel, which also puts iOS 8 adoption at 47 percent. iOS 8's adoption rate appears to be slower than iOS 7 adoption as Mixpanel's numbers last year put iOS 7 adoption at 69.7 percent 20 days after launch.

mixpanelios8adoptionrateinfo.jpg
Mixpanel iOS 8 adoption numbers, October 4 to October 7
In late September, Apple stopped signing iOS 7.1.2, making it impossible for iOS 8 users to downgrade back to a previous-generation operating system. The company is working to combat the issues facing iOS 8, however, simultaneously working on iOS 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3.

iOS 8.1, seeded to developers last week, fixes at least one major problem, repairing the Bluetooth pairing issue many users have been facing. The update also includes support for Apple Pay, which is expected to debut in October.

Related roundups: iOS 8, iOS 8 Features

[ 377 comments ]




[h=2]Top Rated Comments[/h] (View all)
sosull
12 hours ago at 05:57 pm
An over-the-air update is a tough sell on 8GB or 16GB devices – lots of people wouldn't want to delete photos and apps to make way for a software update.
Rating: 75 Votes



Alisstar
12 hours ago at 05:59 pm
This isn't surprising to me at all. I have friends who are still on iOS 7 because they don't have enough free space available to upgrade. When I tell them they can upgrade by connecting their phones to their computers, and thus, doing it through iTunes, they look at me like I'm crazy, or like it's 2008 or something.
Rating: 54 Votes



jcw5002
12 hours ago at 06:00 pm
Most of my friends still haven't updated. Why? They have 16GB iPhones with not enough space! (I told them about iTunes update, but that's extra work.)

If Apple really wants to drive rapid OS adoption, they need to start w/ 32GB entry level iPhones.
Rating: 52 Votes



DotCom2
12 hours ago at 06:00 pm
Buggiest iOS I've ever experienced
Rating: 44 Votes



carjakester
13 hours ago at 05:56 pm
honestly wish i was still on 6. 7 was okay but iOS 8 has had nothing but problems for me and many others. Unacceptable and very unlike apple for this to happen.
Rating: 42 Votes



elmateo487
12 hours ago at 06:01 pm
Yeah... its not because of bugs.. It is because people do not know anything about their phones, and the vast majority just let that red 1 sit on their setting app, and the people that actually try to update? They don't have 2 free gigs of space available, and they don't know how to update from their computers.

Am I a pessimist? Yes.... because I work at a technology help desk. And no one.... knows anything.
Rating: 40 Votes



paul55br
12 hours ago at 05:57 pm
Love iOS 8 on my 5s. No complaints.
Rating: 32 Votes



Management
12 hours ago at 05:57 pm
I have constant problems with iOS 8, mostly crashing apps and apps not rotating in landscape; both on iPad and iPhone 6.

Very frustrating.
Rating: 21 Votes



paul55br
12 hours ago at 05:59 pm
An over-the-air update is a tough sell on 8GB or 16GB devices – lots of people wouldn't want to delete photos and apps to make way for a software update.

A few friends I know have not updated for this very reason.
Rating: 16 Votes



grockk
12 hours ago at 06:30 pm
Has nothing to do with bugs. The download is 1-2 GB And needs 4-6 GB just to install.

Anyone with a 16 or 32 GB device doesn't have room for that. I have heard so many people trying to delete pictures and apps and stuff to try and make space.

They really need to have a statement like "This update requires 5 GB of space to install. Go to usage settings to make space or connect to iTunes to install.

Nobody has space to install so they don't bother.
Rating: 15 Votes
 
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