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.
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why.
In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro.
The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
Thursday June 12, 2025 4:53 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence.
The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
Apple this week announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles.
iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to...
Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:22 pm PDT by Juli Clover
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look.
Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...
Thursday June 12, 2025 10:14 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today added Mac Studio models with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips to its online certified refurbished store in the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and many European countries, for the first time since they were released in March.
As usual for refurbished Macs, prices are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the equivalent new models on Apple's online store. Note that Apple's ...
Apple today provided developers with a revised version of the first iOS 26 beta for testing purposes. The update is only available for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, so if you're running iOS 26 on an iPhone 14 or earlier, you won't see the revised beta.
Registered developers can download the new beta software through the Settings app on each device.
The revised beta addresses an...
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
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.
