iOS 8 Adoption Rate Hits 72% As Android Lollipop Distribution Reaches 1.6%

[MacRumors]

Apple's newest operating system, iOS 8, is installed on 72 percent of iOS devices almost five months after it first launched in September of 2014, according to new numbers Apple shared on its App Store support page for developers.

Installation numbers are up 9 percent since mid-December and have jumped 3 percent since January 20, following the launch of iOS 8.1.3 at the end of the month. As iOS 8 adoption grows, the number of users running iOS 7 has dropped to 25 percent. 3 percent of users continue to use an earlier operating system.

iOS 8 adoption has been somewhat slower than iOS 7 adoption, as iOS 7 was running on 80 percent of devices in January of 2014, compared to iOS 8's 69 percent adoption rate at that same time. Possible explanations for the slower adoption rate include the large amount of storage space required to update to iOS 8 and the major bugs the operating system has experienced. Excitement over iOS 7's complete visual redesign may have also driven a larger number of upgrades.

Apple has resolved many of the initial bugs that were found in iOS 8 with several operating system updates, including iOS 8.1, iOS 8.1.1, iOS 8.1.2, and iOS 8.1.3, which has led to an uptick in adoption, and the company has also made an effort to inform customers that it's possible to install iOS 8 via iTunes to alleviate storage space issues.

Though adoption of iOS 8 has been slower than iOS 7 adoption rates, Apple is still way ahead of Android. The latest version of Android (5.0, aka Lollipop), released in November, is currently only installed on 1.6 percent of Android devices. The vast majority of Android users are still running KitKat, which was released in October 2013, or even Jelly Bean, which first debuted in June 2012.

Android updates often take a long time to propagate to customers because of the large number of different Android-based devices on the market. Android updates must go through carriers and cell phone manufacturers, who like to build their own apps and interfaces into the operating system.

Article Link: iOS 8 Adoption Rate Hits 72% As Android Lollipop Distribution Reaches 1.6%

 

[EthanLMT]

This just proves that people on Android don't upgraded as much as iOS users

 

[Ventilatedbrain]

That's totally irrelevant. I just hope lollipop gets to see more devices stock. That's one beautiful OS. on par with ios

 

[bbeagle]

The number suggest either:

(a) Android users are satisfied with KitKat and scared of updating to Lollipop because of fears of Google and/or bugs.

(b) Android users have gotten frustrated with the Android experience and stopped using their devices before Lollipop.

 

[bawbac]

And how many people reverted back to an older iOS after 8 made their device sluggish & open to security issues.

When the general public can't roll back their FW easily like Android, what can they do but take what has been forced on to them.

 

[iHack13]

Typical troll feeding and Android bashing article.

I'm not using an Android phone but there is one thing I can tell you.
If Apple would let me go back to iOS7 I would do so immediately.

But Apple wants to keep showing figures like these while slowing down my device , so that I buy their newest product.
Let's praise them . Yay, Apple. Android sucks and so on and so forth..

 

[RoelJuun]

The number suggest either:

(a) Android users are satisfied with KitKat and scared of updating to Lollipop because of fears of Google and/or bugs.

(b) Android users have gotten frustrated with the Android experience and stopped using their devices before Lollipop.

(c) Android Device manufacturers do not provide a proper upgrade plan.

 

[Oletros]

The number suggest either:

(a) Android users are satisfied with KitKat and scared of updating to Lollipop because of fears of Google and/or bugs.

(b) Android users have gotten frustrated with the Android experience and stopped using their devices before Lollipop.

(c) Google Play Services and Support Libraries make version less relevant

 

[ChazUK]

That's totally irrelevant. I just hope lollipop gets to see more devices stock. That's one beautiful OS. on par with ios

It was turd on my Nexus 6. So much so, that I got rid of it for an Xperia Z3 on KitKat.

Being on the bleeding edge of Android isn't all milk and honey.

 

[Oletros]

This just proves that Android isn't as popular as iOS

How so?

 

[garbage-barge]

If you know even the basic concepts about how roms are created and distributed for Android handsets, you'd know this is a completely irrelevant comparison.

Really only fair if all Android phones were Nexus 4/5/6 models.

 

[mercuryjones]

What is really crazy, is that a single Android release will NEVER reach a 72% adoption rate, just because of the way that Google decided to handle releases.
Plus, you would think that Google would be able to roll out the update to at least all of the supported Nexus devices at the same time. This is the same company that handles 80% of internet searches and YouTube, right?

 

[brucerb]

majority?

"The vast majority of Android users are still running KitKat..."

But the table says 39.7% are running KitKat. This would be a "plurality".

Perhaps the "vast majority of Andriod users" wish that their carrier and phone manufacturer would let them upgrade to KitKat.

 

[scottwaugh]

The number suggest either:

(a) Android users are satisfied with KitKat and scared of updating to Lollipop because of fears of Google and/or bugs.

(b) Android users have gotten frustrated with the Android experience and stopped using their devices before Lollipop.

Or, most Android devices (at least here in the U.S.) rely on their manufacturers and the user's carrier's (AT&T, Verizon) to custom create new OS releases for them, of which they are few and far between...and just isn't available to most folks on Android at this point...(Verizon is just starting to roll it out to their Galaxy S5 devices today I think).

Not that letting the bigger bugs get taken care of is a bad thing...if I was over there I wouldn't touch 5.0 at this point.

...When the general public can't roll back their FW easily like Android, what can they do but take what has been forced on to them.

Course this "choice" on the Android side of things involves unlocking your bootloader, voiding your warranty and flashing your multi partition ROM etc...and that isn't something the general public can/would do either - its good the option is there, but beyond a debate point its not a very viable option for the general public.

 

[allanfries]

Now, if only they can get IOS 8 running efficiently.

 

[iPhil]

8 Versions to equal 100% for Google OS while iOS is almost @ the same mark only with 2 IOS versions ..

 

[Ted13]

That's totally irrelevant. I just hope lollipop gets to see more devices stock. That's one beautiful OS. on par with ios

The ever smaller bunch of people who won't admit that Android is a joke compared to iOS. But for some reason keep posting on MacRumors instead of Android sites or Google+ (which will be finishing off Facebook or Tweeter any day now).

 

[Eadfrith]

How long did it take iOS 8 to reach 1.6% ???

 

[peterdevries]

The number suggest either:

(a) Android users are satisfied with KitKat and scared of updating to Lollipop because of fears of Google and/or bugs.

(b) Android users have gotten frustrated with the Android experience and stopped using their devices before Lollipop.

(c) carriers are di*ks and neglect to roll out software to paying customers.

 

[MattMJB0188]

Very hard to believe iOS 8 is at that kind of adoption. Such a horrible OS.

 

[WaxedJacket]

iOS developers must be happy about this

 

[Roessnakhan]

This just proves that Android isn't as popular as iOS

A better sample would be how many Nexus devices have Lollipop on the basis that it's a Google phone with a Google OS.

The iOS distribution would look the same as Android if iOS was licensed to multiple device manufacturers and they had the option to fork and skin the OS.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

The vast majority of Android users are still running KitKat, which was released in October 2013, or even Jelly Bean, which first debuted in June 2012.

Please learn basic math. If you look at the table in your own article, the majority of users are on Jelly Bean (44.5%), not KitKat (39.7%).

Also, Lollipop and iOS 8 isn't exactly an Apples to Apples comparison. Lollipop was released in November while iOS 8 was released in September. So iOS 8 has been out for twice as long as Lollipop.

That doesn't justify Lollipop's abysmal adoption numbers, but it is a factor in why iOS 8 has a higher adoption rate than Lollipop so far.

 

[Rodster]

I am definitely in the 28% camp.

 

[xgman]

This is the Google problem in a nutshell and to me the weakest link in the Android model. There is a price to be paid when you try to be too many things to too many people and you allow carriers to dictate your terms. Bad idea.