As iOS 12 Launch Approaches, iOS 11 Adoption Hits 85 Percent

Apple's iOS 11 operating system is now installed on 85 percent of devices as of September 3, according to updated statistics Apple shared today on its App Store support page for developers.

Apple hasn't updated its adoption statistics since May 31, when iOS 11 was installed on 81 percent of devices, marking a four percent adoption increase over the course of the last several months.

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iOS 11 adoption has likely slowed as Apple's focus has shifted to iOS 12, which is set to be released in the near future. Apple's last iOS 11 update was iOS 11.4.1, released in July with bug fixes and support for USB Restricted Mode, not quite features that entice people to upgrade.

With iOS 11 installed on 85 percent of iOS devices, 10 percent continue to use iOS 10 and five percent continue to use an earlier version of iOS, such as iOS 8 or iOS 9.

Over its lifespan, iOS 11 adoption has been slower than iOS 10 adoption, perhaps due to the multiple high-profile bugs affecting iOS 11. The HomeKit bug, the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities, and the iPhone slowdown controversy that saw Apple throttling the performance of older iPhones all likely impacted iOS 11 adoption.

The issues with iOS 11 led Apple to delay some planned iOS 12 features to focus on improving iOS performance and stability. One major focus was bolstering performance on older devices, and iOS 12 is designed outperform iOS 11, introducing faster app launch times, faster load times, and an overall quicker feel to the operating system.

Given the under-the-hood improvements that iOS 12 brings, it's likely we will see faster adoption of the new update than we did with iOS 11. We're expecting Apple to release a golden master version of iOS 12 on September 12, its iPhone event day, which will mark the final version of iOS 12 that will be released to the public.

After that, Apple is likely to debut iOS 12 on Wednesday, September 19, two days ahead of when iPhones are expected to be released on Friday, September 21.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Top Rated Comments

FightTheFuture Avatar
62 months ago
People don't update unless there are visible changes, most people don't understand the importance of under the hood improvements.
I don't know - I think most people update when a dialogue box tells them an update is available.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redheeler Avatar
62 months ago
Over its lifespan, iOS 11 adoption has been slower than iOS 10 adoption, perhaps due to the multiple high-profile bugs affecting iOS 11.
I'm sure the dropping of 32-bit app support affected iOS 11 adoption as well. And I say that as one of the holdouts still on iOS 10...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
User 6502 Avatar
62 months ago

Given the under-the-hood improvements that iOS 12 brings, it's likely we will see faster adoption of the new update than we did with iOS 11. We're expecting Apple to release a golden master version of iOS 12 on September 12, its iPhone event day, which will mark the final version of iOS 12 that will be released to the public.
Give the lack of new features (except some very minor ones), iOS 12 is likely to be another very slowly adopted release. People don't update unless there are visible changes, most people don't understand the importance of under the hood improvements.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
62 months ago
Give the lack of new features (except some very minor ones), iOS 12 is likely to be another very slowly adopted release. People don't update unless there are visible changes, most people don't understand the importance of under the hood improvements.
Probably it’s the opposite. People barely understand incremental new features, but sure as hell they will update if word spreads of faster performance/better battery, which is probably the case with iOS12.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
62 months ago
Give the lack of new features (except some very minor ones), iOS 12 is likely to be another very slowly adopted release. People don't update unless there are visible changes, most people don't understand the importance of under the hood improvements.
You’re right. Especially with security updates for protection against Spectre and Meltdown are crucial for consumer protection. I Always update when I can and I appreciate the stability/protection iOS offers for efficiency and peformance.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GIZBUG Avatar
62 months ago
Wish I was one of the 5% lucky ones...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)