iOS 7 Now Running On 80 Percent Of Apple Devices
Apple users’ solidarity puts Android fragmentation to shame
Apple has revealed that 80 percent of its iPhone and iPad devices are using the latest version of its operating system, iOS 7.
The company posted a graph (pictured below) on the developers’ section of its AppStore website outlining which versions of iOS are the most widely used, using data gathered over a seven-day period ending on Sunday. The news was originally announced by Apple’s CFO Peter Oppenheimer during the company’s first quarter earnings call, during which the company revealed record first quarter revenues, thanks in a large part to iPhone sales of 51 million during the holiday-period that ended 28 December – another record.
Less fragmented
The survey found that 80 percent of devices are using the latest iOS 7 software, which is compatible with the iPhone 4, 4S, 5, 5C, and 5S, as well as the iPad Mini and iPad 2 and 3.
The results also showed that 17 percent of devices are still using iOS 6, with the remaining three percent running an earlier version of the software.
In comparison, the latest version of Google’s Android OS, Android 4.4 Kitkat, which was released two months ago, is so far running on just 1.4 percent of devices, with its immediate predecessor, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean far more popular, running on 59 percent of devices. Google’s mobile OS does however command a 68.6 percent share of the European smartphone market, far ahead of Apple on 18.5 percent.
Released in September 2013 with great fanfare from Apple, iOS 7 initially met with mixed opinions, as it featured a complete aesthetic overhaul along with the addition of several new services including iTunes Radio. However these statistics show that users have overcome these initial issues and embraced the new OS.
Apple is continually looking for ways to expand the capabilities of its software, with CEO Tim Cook sparking rumours during the same earnings call that the company may well be looking into implementing mobile payment technology among other things. “The mobile payments area in general is one that we’ve been intrigued with,” he said on the call, “it’s incredibly simple and easy and elegant and it’s clear that there’s a lot of opportunity there”.
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