We’re only 3 days away from WWDC23, so iOS 17 is fast approaching and will be shown to the world for the first time since Cupertino. However, Apple shared the adoption data of the current operating system (iOS 16) and reached the not inconsiderable number of 81% of all iPhone users worldwide.
The data was shared on the Apple developer website, and 81% of all iOS devices are running iOS 16 since its public release in September 2022. 13% of devices are running iOS 15, which continues to receive security patches, while only 6% of devices are still running older versions. However, if we talk about the iPad, 71% of all iPads worldwide are running iPadOS 16while 20% use iPadOS 15 and 9% use older versions of the operating system.
Apple also offers data by filtering only devices released within the last four years, that is, the most recent ones. iOS 16 is installed on 90% of iPhones 11 and aboveand only 2% of those devices haven’t updated to iOS 15 or iOS 16. iPadOS 16 works on 76% of iPads released in the last four yearsand only 6% of those models are still running pre-iPadOS 15 software.
iOS 16 adoption rates are very similar to iOS 15 in May last year. However, if you compare the first months after the release, the adoption of iOS 16 was much faster, probably because the update brought visual and different changes like the iPhone lock screen, which excited many users with the update.
But this adoption rate has a third derivative. For developers, this means they can focus on adding new features to their apps without worrying that the majority of users will receive them. Installing the latest versions of iOS is also important because of security patches (remember that Apple already releases security updates without having to update all iOS to a new version). This is a clear advantage of iOS over Androidwhere it is difficult for Google to ensure that most users receive these updates, as the company has little to no control over third-party devices running Android.
