The data reveals how many iPhones and iPads are running iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, as measured by devices that transacted on the App Store on February 14. iOS 16 is compatible with the iPhone 8 and newer, while iPadOS 16 is compatible with all iPad Pro models and select iPad Air, iPad mini, and entry-level iPad models released since 2017.
Apple's website says iOS 16 is installed on 72% of all iPhones and on 81% of all iPhones introduced within the last four years. 20% of all iPhones are still running iOS 15, while 8% are running iOS 14 or earlier, according to Apple.
iPadOS 16 adoption is at 50% overall and at 53% for all iPad models introduced in the last four years, according to Apple. iPadOS 15 usage remains fairly high at 35% across all compatible iPad models, while 13% are running iPadOS 14 or earlier.
Apple shared its first iOS 15 adoption statistics in January 2022, whereas these iOS 16 adoption figures were released in February, so the difference in timing does not allow for a direct comparison. However, accounting for the extra month of availability, it appears that iOS 16 adoption has followed a similar trajectory as iOS 15.
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors.
Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.
iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design
The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
We've known for quite some time about Apple's plans for a thinner "iPhone 17 Air" coming later this year, but wow, the latest dummy models give us our best look yet at just how thin this phone is going to be.
Other Apple news and rumors this week included another iOS 18.5 beta, the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch launch, and more management reshuffling in Apple's Siri division, so read...
As a boomer, I'm unamused with your implication that boomers are more reluctant to adopt new technology than younger people. I'm on IOS 15 because I've read numerous reports that IOS 16 causes battery drain, and I happen to be happy with the battery life I'm getting with IOS 15. Conversely, I bet there's plenty of boomers who get a new iPhone every year, so they can keep up with technology. Heck, Johny Srouji himself is a boomer, using an inclusive definition.
I understand there are exceptions but i think my generalization is fair.
With regards to iOS 16 causing battery drain, rewind to 2022 and the same can be said for iOS 15. Rewind to 2021, and it's iOS 14, and keep going. I can also predict the future. iOS 17 will cause battery drain in 2024, and iOS 16 will be golden.
I think this kind of behavior of bias is actually more psychological more than anything else. What this is implying is that each year battery gets worse, which I don't believe is the case. Today's battery life is far better than the original iPhone. If we are to believe each new iOS version is so terrible, we would've dropped exponentially from great battery life to 1 second of screen on time now. The alternative explanation is iOS 16 is crappy today, but then somehow when iOS 17 comes out, iOS16 magically becomes good again so that iOS 17 looks bad. I don't think that's realistic either.
The realistic take is battery life hardly changes year to year. Battery life is a product of the apps you use and your usage behavior. I suspect what happens is people using old apps that don't get updated over time or have proper modern APIs break and start crashing a lot or have negative impacts on battery.
I have updated iOS on Day 1 on practically every phone I've gotten and have NEVER noticed a significant drop in battery. This whole blaming the current OS version is a cognitive bias.
Is Apple surveying users about why they aren't upgrading? I think 100% of iPads released in the last four years are eligible for iPadOS 16 so why is it 53%?
I think typical reasons would be user concerns that upgrading will change functionality or appearance for the worse (in their opinion) or bugs/glitches will screw things up and it's not worth the risk.
Also, I'm sure tons of active iPads out there stuck on iOS 12 and iOS 15. They tend to last way longer than phones.
Could be that, but I have another theory on why there’s a huge discrepancy between iPhone software upgraders and iPad software upgraders. Apple’s default auto updates feature installs updates overnight when your device is connected to power and Wi-Fi. The majority of people charge their phone overnight, every night. That means every night that phone has the opportunity to download, install and update itself. Meanwhile, since the majority of people don’t use the iPad as often as their iPhone, it usually doesn’t have that same consistent “overnight, every night” charging pattern. Same with the Mac, which is probably even further behind in software upgrades than the iPad.
