Apple's App Store Usage Numbers Suggest iOS 7 Adoption at 74%

[Zedcars]

The remainder are likely dyslexic.

Think I'm being funny? A friend of mine just updated to iOS 7 after having some doubts on wether it'd be too hard to deal with, what with her dyslexia being really bad.

She just called me, from a landline, in tears because she can barely use her phone and wanted to know if she could go back to iOS 6. I've just added her to my Dev Portal and gave her instructions for how to update to 7.1 to see if the extra settings present in the Beta will help but from what she has told me it's not looking hopeful.

I like iOS 7 but they've really dropped the disability ball, she's not the only one either, I googled the issue and a lot of people are having trouble.

That is interesting to note. I am dyslexic and I tried using a friend's iPhone who had upgraded to iOS 7 and I hated it.

Consequently I've left my own iPhone on iOS 6 and probably will leave it on there as long as possible. I don't think I will upgrade to another iPhone after my 4S due to the software even though I'm an Apple fan through and through.

 

[JackieInCo]

I tend to agree, but the biggest problem is with the OEM suppliers. My iPad and iPhone all have iOS7. My Samsung Galaxy lags behind at 4.22, waiting on Samsung and also my Telco provider to release the firmware. Even my Windows Phone is up to date.

I would rate latest firmware migration as such, Apple, Windows Phone, and Android being last.

Which is why when I was deciding on what phone to buy two weeks ago, I didn't even consider any Samsung phones besides maybe the S4. I didn't think the Nexus 5 was worth it since I have a Nexus 4 already. I decided on the 5S. The fact that this phone will get updates for the next 2-3 years is a no brainer.

 

[hipnetic]

The notes app is black text on a white background, much more readable than the black on yellow used previously.

I wasn't talking about the text you enter into the Note app. I have no problem with the black text on white background there, though it's certainly not "much more readable" than the black text on a yellow background under iOS6. Black text on a yellow background still offers plenty of contrast. I don't think I've ever heard anyone complain that the old Note app didn't have enough contrast.

The only place yellow text is used is for navigation at the top, where it is a heavy font that is quite readable, not that you need to read it since the navigation is very simple in that app.

No, it's not "quite readable", it's awful. And they pretty much had to break their own rules and offer a (slight) drop-shadow because even they obviously understood that yellow text/icons on a white background is a horrible idea. And saying "well, you don't really need to use the navigation/icons in the Note app because it's so simple anyway" is an admission that it's awful.

The 3GS text is fuzzy and unreadable next to iOS 7 on a retina display. Now since you liked 3GS text, there's no reason not to like the far superior iOS 7 retina display text.

You're creating a straw man by trying to compare the pros/cons of text on a 3GS with iOS6 and text on a retina iOS7 device. Let's compare apples to apples. I'm talking about text on a retina iOS6 device compared to text on a retina iOS7 device. On the latter, the default font is too lightweight/thin and is a step backwards in readability. And changing the disability settings to make everything bolder , while arguably an improvement, is still not as good as the standard font/size/weight on iOS6.

 

[JackieInCo]

This number is high because there is NO OPTION to go back, iOS 7 is one of the buggiest versions I have every experienced. The music and video apps from Apple are just terrible. They crash or fail to function on a daily basis.

I don't think I have experienced a single bug since upgrading my Mini to 7 and now it
s on the leanest and my 5S has also been bug free since buying it two weeks ago. Every time I hear someone say it is the most buggiest os to date, I just don't see it.

I am one who downgraded my Mini and 4S back to 6.1.3 the day before Apple stopped signing 6.1.3 just because I wasn't ready for that big of a change. Now that I am using it full time, I love it.

I do have my 4S on 6.1.3 still but that is because of the way 6.1.3 displays audiobook chapters and 7.0.4 does not. Once they fix 7.0.X to do the same, I am upgrading it.

 

[hipnetic]

Buy an Android and quit whinging then.

I will not just "buy an Android and go away." I have owned several iOS devices, up to my current iPhone 5, am typing this on my MacBook Air, and have just purchased a MacBook Pro Retina. I like much about iOS6 and much about OS X. I consider iOS7 to be a move in the wrong direction and choose to post about my displeasure with it here. I like that all of my devices are part of a common ecosystem, because there are real advantages to that. But the iOS7 UI is so bad IMO, that I am taking a closer look at the alternatives. Unfortunately, from what little I've seen of Android, the UI doesn't seem to be much better there.

For the white background, go make invert color.

Do you honestly believe that inverting colors is a viable solution? Have you ever even tried it? It doesn't just invert black on white to white on black, it inverts all colors everywhere. The icon colors get inverted. All of the colors in your photos get inverted.

 

[C DM]

I don't think I have experienced a single bug since upgrading my Mini to 7 and now it
s on the leanest and my 5S has also been bug free since buying it two weeks ago. Every time I hear someone say it is the most buggiest os to date, I just don't see it.

I am one who downgraded my Mini and 4S back to 6.1.3 the day before Apple stopped signing 6.1.3 just because I wasn't ready for that big of a change. Now that I am using it full time, I love it.

I do have my 4S on 6.1.3 still but that is because of the way 6.1.3 displays audiobook chapters and 7.0.4 does not. Once they fix 7.0.X to do the same, I am upgrading it.

Plenty if threads documenting issues of all kinds--even the very simple/obvious ones like apps crashingn and the phone restating on its own much more often than before. Sure not all of it happens to everyone and perhaps not as often, but in the general sense there are plenty of issues out there, and somewhat noticeably more so than with previous updates.

 

[JAT]

I'm still in the 22% using iOS 6 but I'll finally make the upgrade to iOS 7 in a couple weeks because of my OCD's with upgrading the OS of any device I use.

Same goes with my iMac because I'm still on 10.7.5 but expect to upgrade to 10.9.x at the same time.

Hmm, based on those timelines, your OCD isn't very obsessive. Or compulsive.

 

[JAT]

The white backgrounds are ideal for maximizing the contrast with black text. Indeed, there can be no greater contrast making the text as readable as possible.

So wrong. High contrast is not the best for readability. Contrast is important, but other factors are, as well. At some point, contrast becomes too high and it is a detriment to your eyes and therefore reading. There is a reason people complain about reading on tablets and prefer ereaders, which have less contrast to them.

I won't even bother addressing your asinine post about how people are "idiots" for not necessarily being able to distinguish between text and [button] text right next to each other on the same screen.

 

[deluxeshredder]

I work with a group of challenged adults weekly and we use six iPads in our group. I'm extremely pleased with a lot of the enhancements made to the accessibility settings, they've gotten better with each update IMHO.

These accessibility settings are nothing more than a bandaid for numerous terrible design choices. Many non-challenged users use them, and even then the iOS 7 UI is hard on the eyes and visually disgusting.

Apple is currently putting the best products out in each sector they compete. The best phone. Best tablet. Best laptop. Best all in one. Best TVSTB. Best router (IMO), best digital music 'carrier'....everything they're doing these days just friggin ROCKS!

I would only agree on the best laptop and the best all-in-one, but I still had a lot of respect for Apple before the release of iOS 7.

390,000,000 HAVE updated or purchased an iOS 7 device. That's. Flat. Out. AMAZING!

Apple now has enough momentum to release some commercially successful garbage. I didn't expect iOS 7 to be a New Coke-like collapse, and for now, I consider iOS 7 to be a "Cars 2" moment - it sells, but it isn't loved, and it has the potential to bring Apple's image down, much like the early 90s Wintel-like Macs.

That said, like you....I love technology. I like to consider myself brand agnostic and enjoy owning and using multiple OS'es both on mobile and my computers. But Android needs to be reigned in by Google as far as what the carriers are skinning them with. TouchWiz has become the most bloated pile of steaming Beef Stew I've seen since Vista

TouchWiz is much faster and more stable on my Note 2 than any iOS 7 device I had the chance to try, and it is nowhere as horrendous aesthetically.

As tech savvy as I consider myself, I was really annoyed by the length of time samsung and AT&T took to get 4.0 out to users....and from there, the point updates which are sometimes even MORE important than the main OS update as they're typically 'bug crushers'

I do agree that this is a big drawback of Android.

I've got a large family (5 younger brothers...& we are all married with kids), cousins, aunts and uncles....all on iPhones and we just discussed iOS 7 at Thanksgiving. Overwhelmingly positive. As well, friends of mine that didn't care at all for it initially have grown to really REALLY enjoy it

So they enjoy thin fonts without shadowing on their wallpapers? Yellow text on white? Neon colours everywhere? ~10 FPS animations?

IMHO, it's a Grand Slam! The design is incredible and simple. Control panel is exactly what I was looking for....iCloud has come a LONG way when it comes to reliability for me, folder structure freedom, closing apps, Safari---this is the first time Safari has become my default browser. iCab or Atomic were my iOS 1-6 choices.

Well, you may consider fast food to be "incredible and simple" and Michelin-starred restaurants to be Grand Slam. It would still be just your opinion.

I guess I don't get it. Everyone BEGGED for a 'redo'. Everyone wanted the skeuomorphic design to go away. Flatter. Cleaner. A control panel (like Android), control from the home screen. Air Drop.

I don't remember "everyone" (outside of the enthusiast comunnity which is still generally better served by Android) begging for a new iOS theme, much less a slavishly flat, Android-esque theme.

 

[ZipZap]

Bunch of BS.

Many were auto updated.

No one can fall back to IOS 6.

Turn that back on and then lets discuss this metric.

BS Apple Propaganda.

 

[Jon the Heretic]

Meaningless metric

This is a meaningless metric because you are FORCED to use it. And every time there is an update, it nags you to update.

If you choose not to, you lose a significant portion of precious/expensive internal Flash storage. Two of my 3 iPads are in this boat; yes, there are ways to erase the downloaded update files, but it is a PITA and Apple can/will try to shove iOS7 on you the next opportunity it gets.

This metric would only have meaning if people sought it out and installed it -- and with no storage penalty of opting out ---and if people could easily downgrade. I upgraded my iPad 4 on Day 1, but downgraded at the last min I was able to, 4 days later, after concluding this was not for me. I have people asking me "how did you do that? Can I"? Absolutely you can -- but it takes perfect timing and a PhD.

My iPhone 5s and my wife's 5c had iOS 7 preinstalled too---I would install iOS 6 in a min if I could.

 

[hipnetic]

This is a meaningless metric because you are FORCED to use it. And every time there is an update, it nags you to update.

I suppose it's a meaningful metric for developers to cue in on how many of their potential customers have iOS7 installed. I agree with you that it's meaningless for determining customer satisfaction with iOS7. And even if Apple allowed people to "downgrade" back to iOS6, it *still* wouldn't be an accurate measure of customer satisfaction because of people like me. I would still choose to install iOS7 because it has many features I like, and many 3rd party apps I like will be making use of its expanded SDK. But just because I'd begrudgingly install it, doesn't mean I'm happy with Jony Ives' vision for how the UI should look/work.

 

[dysamoria]

Indeed. Since there's no way to go back to iOS 6 after you've gone to iOS 7, I'd be very curious to see how many people have it, and also hate it and wish they could downgrade. So far I know of no one not on Macrumors who likes it. If you google iOS 7, the fourth most commonly searched word that follows it is the word "Sucks".

After upgrading to 7, I was glad to break my display and get a replacement iPad that still came with iOS 6. I'll check back in at iOS 8, but if they don't sort their visual disaster out, I'm ditching iOS completely.

This is reason number one that I've not "upgraded" my iPhone. Reason number two is that it would further slow my iPhone (4), and the slowdown from iOS 6 was enough for me.

iOS 7 is hideous and uncomfortable to look at. There is so much backwards progress in GUI design on iOS 7. Apple should be embarrassed. But we know that arrogance wins there.

 

[Mike MA]

22% on iOS 6 can in fact represent a load of people. It might certainly be a smaller number (by a factor of 3) than that representing people on iOS 7, but it doesn't mean the number itself is a small one.

True. But it will be a small number soon. I still know large companies that yet didn't realase iOS 7 for their employees.

 

[Twimfy]

Tell your friend to go to the accessibility options in settings and select bold type and increased contrast. This helped my dyslexic friend a lot.

She tried it, no dice. It just seems to be the fact that the text is white. I really don't understand it not having the condition myself. I guess Apple can't cater to everyone.

 

[deluxeshredder]

But the iOS7 UI is so bad IMO, that I am taking a closer look at the alternatives. Unfortunately, from what little I've seen of Android, the UI doesn't seem to be much better there.

I suggest giving Sense 5 a try - it is probably the closest thing to classic iOS UI quality. Stock Android has gotten pretty good, too.

 

[Jon the Heretic]

The Young Are a Different Country

On the other hand, the number of people that I know that don't like iOS 7 is very minimal (maybe 1 or 2, but it has grown on them). I am in high school though, so maybe younger people are more able to adapt to change? I'd like to see a graph of approval by age group.

Younger people are more fashion conscious and peer driven, and frankly, have relatively short attention spans. Change for the sake of change is good. Yes, I remember it well. Oy.

I have met many people under 30 who love the design of iOS7. It is a teeny bopper's dream UI, no doubt.

Over 30, I see a different skew, from "it looks like a cartoon" or "my kid could design a better UI" to "worse thing Apple has ever done. It hope they FIX it soon". Over 40 it gets worse because of the egregious violations of accepted usability and accessibility practices, many of which were advanced BY Apple.

As a UI designer, it makes my job so much easier. Now that bad design is in, I can sleep in, throw some fonts on a screen after rolling out of bed, call it "clean" and "modern", and reassure people "you'll get used to it", and perhaps insinuate they are too old or need their eyes checked. Ah yes, Life is Good. Thanks Jony!

 

[LordVic]

So lets see.

Apple Ram rods iOS7 down all their users throat.

then claim victory when its highly adopted.

Not to discuss the merits of iOS7, cause I haven't used it for more than 10 minutes...

But there's more to the uptake of iOS7 than just how well people like it or not.

Apple Forces iOS6 devices to download the installation of iOS7. Apple then refuses to let users delete that installation. That installation takes up ~3.5GB of space on their storage.

most people click to install anyways.

Sorry Apple. claiming 75% of your users are on your latest OS because you virtually forced them to, ISNT a victory.

 

[Eric5h5]

It's spelled "whining". Normally, I try not to be a grammar/spelling nazi, but you spelled it wrong (the same way) twice in your post.

It's not wrong, though "whingeing" is a more common spelling. Look it up. (Always a good idea when you encounter an unfamiliar word, instead of just assuming it's "spelled wrong".)

This is a meaningless metric because you are FORCED to use it. And every time there is an update, it nags you to update.

If you choose not to, you lose a significant portion of precious/expensive internal Flash storage.

Untrue. My iPod touch 5 is on iOS6, it doesn't nag, it didn't lose any storage space. In no way am I being "forced" to install iOS 7.

--Eric

 

[LordVic]

Untrue. My iPod touch 5 is on iOS6, it doesn't nag, it didn't lose any storage space. In no way am I being "forced" to install iOS 7.

--Eric

do you have < 3.5GB available space?
iOS devices that do not have sufficient space for the update do not get bugged to download it.

However, users with sufficient free space do not get choice in the matter. they automatically download the update on WiFi connections. Apple provides no way of deleting this download till it is installed. untill then it takes up the space on the device and nags userse to update regularly.

 

[scoobydoo99]

...

Future generations most certainly will not agree with you. I highly doubt someone born in 2013 who grows up using future variants of iOS 7 is going to have any trouble making it work, nor are they going to say "gee, I have no idea what a computer-mabob is. My monkey brain can only comprehend things if they are filled with subliminal clues and skeuomorphic references. Can you show me where to press?". They also won't be clamouring for their podcast app to look like a 1980s reel-to-reel tape player, or for their Pages icon to have a picture of an ink well on it. Making machines useable to people who were born before the computer age is no longer a priority and never will be again. Ease of use still matters, but its ease of use to people who are familiar with technology. UI design simply isn't about making a machine so easy your Mom can figure it out.
...

I can only say I hope to never fly on an airplane with a cockpit designed by someone like you. Cockpits are probably the most studied arena for human-machine interaction in history, and they are time-tested as a model of intuitive usability. And do you know what the gear lever looks like? (hint: it's not thin grey text floating on a bright white background with no indication of where to press or swipe) It looks like a piece of landing gear with an actual wheel! Do I think skeuomorphism should be applied everywhere to this degree? Of course not. But it is an example of making something intuitive, EVEN FOR professional, tech-saavy users. Why get rid of buttons, shading, and borders just to "hide" functionality because we should know it's there? Does it make you feel superior and like a tech lord to wade through confusing, non-obvious interface elements quickly just because you have mastered the obscurity of it all? Maybe you should replace all the light switches in your house with tiny, thin grey letters on the wall that you just swipe - after all, who needs a switch that is easily recognizable (yes, even for your Mom), when you could have sleek, "flat" controls that take time to find, figure out, and use?

 

[orbliveguy]

My iPhone 4 had MORE functionality the day I retired it to get an iPhone 5s than it did when I bought it. I'd really like you to give me some hard evidence, specific features, of a phone that just "stop working" as soon as a new model comes out.

Or are you simply upset that technology keeps advancing and won't stand still so you can keep up and feel like you have the best?

Your move.

You're parsing words/arguments. It is forcing when there is no other alternative to install a fresh software other than the most current.

Newer software "may" add features but at what expense? What good are new features if previously working fundamental functions are deminshed? That would technically define downgrading not upgrading.

Honestly, do you not see this?

Apples motive for this practice is pure economics.

 

[C DM]

True. But it will be a small number soon. I still know large companies that yet didn't realase iOS 7 for their employees.

Even if that percentage drops some, even just 10% of iOS users still represents a huge number of actual devices/people (considering the total number of iOS devices/users is in hundreds of millions).

 

[Eric5h5]

do you have < 3.5GB available space?
iOS devices that do not have sufficient space for the update do not get bugged to download it.

Nope, 10.7GB available. It did mention the iOS 7 update when it was available, but I clicked the "go away" option and that was it. There's a permanent (1) notification on the settings icon because of it, which is a bit annoying, but that's the worst of it.

However, users with sufficient free space do not get choice in the matter. they automatically download the update on WiFi connections. Apple provides no way of deleting this download till it is installed. untill then it takes up the space on the device and nags userse to update regularly.

That's not what happens though. Normally I have wifi off, but even when it's on it doesn't attempt to download anything, and it doesn't nag.

--Eric

 

[C DM]

Nope, 10.7GB available. It did mention the iOS 7 update when it was available, but I clicked the "go away" option and that was it. There's a permanent (1) notification on the settings icon because of it, which is a bit annoying, but that's the worst of it.



That's not what happens though. Normally I have wifi off, but even when it's on it doesn't attempt to download anything, and it doesn't nag.

--Eric

By design it is supposed to download it when there's enough space and you spend enough time on WiFi for it to download the update. Based on many observations by many people, it seems like that's how it has been working. Perhaps it doesn't happen to everyone, for one reason or another, but it does for most, by design.