iOS 15 Now Installed on 72% of iPhones From the Last Four Years

Apple updated its installation numbers for the first time since the release of the latest version of its operating system, giving us an idea of how many devices are running the update.

In the last four years, 72 percent of the new phones have been fitted with the new operating system. 26% of devices still use the previous version of the software, and 2% still use an earlier version. Sixty-three percent of them run the latest version of the software, 30 percent run the previous version, and seven percent run an earlier version.

The installation numbers on the iPad are lower. In the last four years, 57 percent of all iPad models are running iPadOS 15, while 39 percent continue to use iPadOS 14. Some people run an earlier version of iPadOS. Almost half of all iPad devices are running iPadOS 15 and more than a third are running iPadOS 14.

The number of devices that are compatible with iPadOS 15 lags behind prior operating system installation rates because there are still devices in the wild that are not.

In the last four years, 81 percent of the new phones were installed on the new operating system in December 2020, which is a higher update rate than a month earlier. By the end of January 2020, 77 percent of devices had an update installed.

When the operating systems were launched, features like Digital Legacy and SharePlay were not expected to arrive. People were put off by Apple's anti-CSAM measures. Digital IDs in Wallet and Universal Control are not currently available, but could be in the future.

Apple did not encourage people to update and allow them to remain on the original version of the operating system, but they were able to do so in the settings app. This could be a reason why Apple is pushing users to upgrade to the new operating system, as adoption of earlier operating system updates lags behind.

It used to be that the only option for updating to the latest version of the software was an optional one, but now it is the only option for devices that still have the older version of the software. The latest security fixes need to be upgraded to the newer version of the software, as all devices that can run it also support it.