iOS 9 Set to Break User Adoption Record

Apple officially announced their newest operating system, iOS 9, at their event this September in San Francisco. And as you’ve probably noticed, you don’t have to purchase the new iPhone 6s or 6s Plus in order to get iOS 9.

The latest and greatest iOS is now available to all iPhone users and ready for download since being released to the public on September 16th. Outside of the new San Francisco typeface, the new app switcher, and other nifty features, one of the greatest (and most impressive) things about iOS 9 is that it has been readily adopted by a record-breaking number of users.

According to PYMNTS, iOS 9 has been downloaded on more than 50 percent of Apple mobile devices. And with it, Apple has breathed a sigh of relief, considering the clumsy and bug-ridden release of iOS 8 last year. With iOS 8, only 47 percent of users had made the switch after two weeks. Definitely worrisome, given that iOS 7 had an adoption rate of 70 percent after its release.

Apple’s VP of marketing, Phil Schiller, had this to say about the new early adoption rate: “iOS 9 is also off to an amazing start, on pace to be downloaded by more users than any other software release in Apple’s history.”

This number is huge for Apple, especially when compared to competitor Google and their Android OS. For example, Forbes noted that the early 12% adoption rate for iOS 9 among Apple users in 24 hours took Android’s last operating system, Lollipop, 5 months to achieve. This is due to the fact that Apple owns, operates, and updates their own software. Android, on the other hand, is distributed to its manufacturers, where it is tweaked and toyed with to meet manufacturer standards.

iOS 9 isn’t a major refresh. It simply smooths out the user’s experience and helps them make the most out of their smartphones. The new iOS brings a number of updates like predictive features, a new and improved Siri interface, better battery performance with Low Power mode, suggested places, public transit and walking directions in Apple Maps, and more.

But users should take note about downloading iOS 9 immediately: Apple just released a statement concerning a major flaw in the upgrading process. Some users have reported that the upgrade process locks up their phone, with no way for them to ‘Slide to Upgrade’. Apple is in the process of working on a fix, stating that, “This will be resolved soon in an upcoming iOS update.”