50% of iPhones Brought to Genius Bar Have Never Been Synced

Fifty percent of iPhone owners who have iPhones swapped at the Genius Bar have never plugged them into a computer to backup or sync. That's according to a "little birdie" that former Macworld Associate Editor David Chartier (now at AgileBits) knows. It also suggests iCloud will save a lot of headaches and lost data.

iCloud Backup details

This is a big reason, according to this birdie, for why Apple Store Geniuses are excited about iCloud.

Backupophobes can get away with never touching iTunes after activating an iOS device. But folks obviously need to plug them into some kind of power source to recharge which, combined with a reachable WiFi network, is what triggers iCloud's automatic backup feature. Sure, these customers can manually reinstall apps one by one from the store, but they have no way to recover any of their data or media purchased on the device. That holds true for contacts, too, if users didn't sign up for MobileMe or even Google's free (and, in my experience, terrible) contact sync.

Apple's iCloud, with automated wi-fi sync and instant backup to the cloud will be a welcome feature for those millions who never sync or backup their current iOS devices.

Tag: iCloud

Top Rated Comments

arn Avatar
167 months ago
I find I've been syncing my iPhone less and less. Before I would very regularly. now, I'll go weeks without.

arn
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
goatless Avatar
167 months ago
No wonder they're at the Genius Bar.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeekLawyer Avatar
167 months ago
Wow, I can't even conceive of that. Never backing up? So, also, never updating the OS?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NightFox Avatar
167 months ago
This is a great reality check for a lot of posters on these forums who think Mac Rumors members are a good representation of the wider iPhone owning community. We're not, we're a geeky minority. The majority of iPhone owners neither know nor care what iOS, WWDC or iCloud are.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tbobmccoy Avatar
167 months ago
Not that surprised. My friend's iPhone 3G is still running on 2.x I believe. *edit* he does still sync it ... but 2.x ?!?!?

In his defense, I bet it runs a lot faster than a 3G on 4.x ;)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
*LTD* Avatar
167 months ago
The dumbing of society starts by making things "Simpler"

These are the clueless folks having computer problems and blaming it on everything but themselves...
I know plenty of lawyers, for example, some of them top litigators (i.e., in Toronto) that aren't very bright when it comes to tech. When it comes to figuring out public policy and legislation, however, they're stars. But work in that industry and witness it for yourself.

Same thing in academia. Same thing in several other professions, especially among more senior members.

Understanding tech is no signifier or marker of intellect. Tech is a tool, that's either comfortable to use to get actual work done, or it isn't. And a lot if it isn't.

It's often a case of smart people using bad tools. There's going to be friction.

This is where Apple comes in. And consumers have responded - from what appears to be all walks of life, especially a lot of smart people that have traditionally shied away from tech or felt intimidated by it. There is simply a lot of bull.sh.it when it comes to tech - a lot of stuff that gets in the way. It can be a huge PITA. Whoever can simplify it while allowing us to get most of the same things done will be a star. Apple is one of these stars. The industry has taken notice and is going through growing pains to shift toward Apple's model - some with more success than others.

Remove complexity, enhance what's left over. Working from that model, we end up with blessings, not headaches.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...