Almost every iPhone used on earth now runs iOS 16
WWDC is coming. As Apple prepares to begin pushing users to iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, it has shared the stats for current usage. Eighty-one percent of all currently active iPhones are now running iOS 16, the company said.
A coherent platform with all the things updated
That 81% figure is up just under 15% since the last time Apple shared this data in February. When it comes to iPhones introduced in the last four years, the company has achieved 90% share.
While data varies, some estimate that there are around 1.3 billion active iPhone users worldwide, which suggests there are 1.053 billion people on the planet running iOS 16 right now.
It means almost every iPhone on earth is running iOS 16, just as was the case with iOS 15 this time last year.
Why does it matter?
Why this matters, of course, is two-fold – and it’s about developers and users:
Developers know they can focus on the current and most recent iterations of Apple’s operating systems and still reach a huge number of potential customers. That’s very different from Android, where developers tend to focus on quite old iterations of the operating system because most users are stranded on archaic systems.
Users can be relatively sure that their devices are as secure as possible, while Apple can remain certain that those security updates it does put out protect most of its users. That’s very unlike the archaic update system you still get on the other OS.
Simplicity is complicated
There are other reasons, of course.
For Apple, each OS introduction is a complex thing.
- On the one hand, it needs to maintain its relevance, keeping its story interesting and spicing up the platforms with a steady diet of new features, services and other drivers to maintain user engagement.
- On the other hand, it wants to extend its platforms, build ASPs, maintain security and drive future product and service implementation.
- And one way for the firm to achieve that is to keep its audience (the users) involved while feeding its business (developers) with tools with which to help build their own business and boost user engagement.
That’s effectively what WWDC is all about. Keeping the Apple story interesting.
What Apple said about installation
That’s also why it’s no surprise Apple has published these latest platform data points. So, without further ado, here’s the rest of what Apple told us:
All iPhones introduced in last four years
- 90% of all devices introduced in the last four years use iOS 16.
- 8% of them use iOS 15.
- 2% of them are on an earlier iteration of the operating system.
When it comes to all iPhones in active use, Apple says:
- 81% are on iOS 16. (Last year, Apple told us 82% of all devices in active use had then reached iOS 15).
- 13% have got to iOS 15.
- 6% are using an earlier OS.
All iPads introduced in last four years
- 76% of all devices introduced in the last four years use iPadOS 16.
- 18% of them use iPadOS 15.
- 6% of them are on an earlier iteration of the operating system.
When it comes to all iPads in active use, Apple says:
- 71% are on iPad OS 16. (Last year, Apple told us 82% of all devices in active use had then reached iOS 15).
- 20% have got to iPad OS 15.
- 9% are using an earlier OS.
Want earier adoption numbers? Here’s some I tracked:
- 2022: Almost every iPhone on earth is running iOS 15 (Updated)
- 2021: Eight out of ten iPhones and iPads run iOS 14, says Apple
- 2020: Apple’s latest iOS adoption numbers are amazing
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