Apple’s iOS 13 Already Powering 50% of All iPhones

Apple released iOS 13 on September 19, followed shortly by iPadOS on September 30. And although it’s only been around 26 days since the launch, Apple’s latest version of iOS is already powering a good majority of iPhones.

The company published iOS 13 and iPadOS usage stats via the App Store support page, which is what Apple uses to track iOS usage, reports The Verge.

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

[ad unit=’in_content_premium_block’]

The new stats aren’t anything too surprising, considering the fact that iOS updates often reach most iPhone users very quickly. iOS 12, for example, just took 23 days to hit 50%. iOS 13, on the other hand, is powering 55% of all iPhones introduced in the last four years, while 50% of all iPhones are running iOS 13.

As for iPadOS, 41% of iPads introduced in the last four years are running the latest version of iPadOS/iOS 13, while 33% of all iPads now use iPadOS.

And although iOS 13’s growth isn’t as good as that of iOS 12, when you compare it to other operating system updates–especially Android–the story is obviously a whole lot different.

Tagged with

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Conversation 28 comments

  • bart

    Premium Member
    17 October, 2019 - 4:53 am

    <p>Not sure this is a valid metric anymore. Every softwaremaker is pushing software out the door as soon as they can. Apple released iOS 13 knowing the presence of big bugs. Ms could have done the same with 1809, but blocked people from updating, making the uptake slower. </p><p>Tell me which approach is better </p>

  • PeterC

    17 October, 2019 - 4:53 am

    <p>Ive found iOS 13 on the ipad to be really flaky. </p><p><br></p><p>Two big issues for me are wifi and safari. The wifi issues are basically alot of dropped connections and hanging. Safari is now really buggy and freezes/crashes all the time and there's a really odd lock screen issue where the ipad suddenly defaults to the lock screen and then freezes. </p><p><br></p><p>Software development certainly isn't what it used to be. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • wocowboy

    Premium Member
    17 October, 2019 - 6:12 am

    <p>I give Apple props for the speed and number of updates they have issued for iOS 13 since its launch. This is much better than making people wait months for a single large update to take care of annoying bugs. Bugs are a fact of life in software, we just have to deal with them. I don't like them any more than anyone else does, but I appreciate that Apple is doing a good job at taking care of them at this rate. </p>

    • PeterC

      17 October, 2019 - 6:57 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#481381">In reply to wocowboy:</a></em></blockquote><p>I understand your sentiment. But they only make OS software and apps primarily for their own hardware….. they hardly have the scale of Microsoft’s software challenges to deal with….. </p>

  • bill_russell

    17 October, 2019 - 7:02 am

    <p>No, the story is not obviously a whole lot different. I have two Pixel 1's that are into their 4th year, and got android 10 the day of release. Of course if you like most that I see, have a samsung, well that's just the way it works with them, since they so heavily modify android. Apparently that hasn't bothered the actual users as samsung is still #1 for android phones by far in the US at least.</p><p><br></p><p>Also, since android is more componentized than iOS, important pieces can be updated that don't need a full monolithic OS release. For example if a webkit vulnerability, that can be pushed out via the play store. In iOS it requires preparing a full iOS release to patch. This is becoming more and more the case with android where whole pieces of the core OS can be updated. </p>

    • jules_wombat

      17 October, 2019 - 7:23 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#481387">In reply to Bill_Russell:</a></em></blockquote><p>So you agree with Mehedi the Android user base does suffers from serious diversity in versions. Because most consumers choose Samsung or similarly constrained platforms.</p>

    • Thomas Parkison

      17 October, 2019 - 9:40 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#481387">In reply to Bill_Russell:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes, certain things can be updated and patched as required because Android is modular however there's things that can't be patched. Case in point, this situation…</p><p>arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/attackers-exploit-0day-vulnerability-that-gives-full-control-of-android-phones/</p><p><br></p><p>This needs to be patched via an OTA update. Do you think Samsung will patch their older phones? I'm not sure however I wouldn't hold your breath.</p>

    • nbplopes

      17 October, 2019 - 9:55 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#481387">In reply to Bill_Russell:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Objectively this means that we have over 700 million active devices with IOS13 after less than a month. Walking up to over a billion fast. This gives a huge platform over which developers can work with to update their apps taking advantage of the new features and APIs offered.</p><p><br></p><p>How many we have with Android 10? A couple of million if that much. This is niche. Why would than developer update their apps?</p><p><br></p><p>The truth is that Google lost control over their software. Within reason most developers target their development efforts for Samsung and Huwaii devices. If and when Android 10 reaches those devices they might have a look at it .</p><p><br></p><p>for users I don’t see the problem either. They get what they get.</p>

      • Chris Payne

        17 October, 2019 - 12:46 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#481421">In reply to nbplopes:</a></em></blockquote><p>I know it's apples and oranges, but look at Windows 10. It took them 3-4 *years* to get to 700 million.</p><p><br></p><p>Yes, blah blah a desktop OS is different, but I still think MS has a lot to learn when it comes to Windows updates.</p>

      • anoldamigauser

        Premium Member
        17 October, 2019 - 4:55 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#481421">In reply to nbplopes:</a></em></blockquote><p>Unfortunately, it doesn't just work…which used to be the hallmark of iOS. If users get what they get, and are not happy about it, then it will become a problem. If they fix it fast enough, and get back to "it just works", then no harm, no foul.</p>

        • nbplopes

          17 October, 2019 - 7:28 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#481582">In reply to AnOldAmigaUser:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Yes. I agree with you that how the last major update went through was quite uncharacteristic. Furthermore, I'm a techie so I went by ok, updating as soon as possible. But users that want something that moves them well forward into the future yet it just works, they may not be that happy at all, and questioning their choice even more, understandably. They are still trying the tap the holes. </p><p><br></p><p>I really dislike Mr Tim Cook from a users perspective. Don't think he did that much for the products and its users. Oh well, Wall Street the Warren Buffet's of the world, Mr Tim Cook new best friends are very happy though.</p><p><br></p><p>What will happen when the impulse energy generated by SJ leadership fades? Don't know. But the culture seams to be gravitating into something rather shallow in content, easy bucks and safe. At least my mind is starting to starve as the years pass by. More money and people is not equating into to better work and greater ambition for the future. Execution apart, both Google and Amazon look far more dynamic.</p><p><br></p><p>SJ was the guy that after getting fired went on and lead a company that defined 3D animation and built one that defined next gen OSs and Development Environments over which the first web browser was developed. For instance. Apple lost that character. We now have a brilliant value manager that seams interested in politics and socializing with artists.</p>

  • dontbeevil

    17 October, 2019 - 7:33 am

    <p>the buggiest ios evaaaaaaaaaaaa</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

    • Greg Green

      17 October, 2019 - 8:48 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#481390">In reply to dontbeevil:</a></em></blockquote><p>For someone who acts like they hate apple, you spend quite a bit of time around apple stories. Methinks there’s an unrequited love there somewhere. Tragic even.</p>

      • dontbeevil

        17 October, 2019 - 9:37 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#481405">In reply to Greg Green:</a></em></blockquote><p>ooops there is a similar comment from an apple user</p>

      • BrianEricFord

        17 October, 2019 - 3:21 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#481405">In reply to Greg Green:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>The truly sad part is that his (clear) trolling isn’t even well-received on a site that isn’t exactly crawling with Apple users.</p><p><br></p><p>It’s basically a universal eye-roll.</p>

        • dontbeevil

          18 October, 2019 - 4:21 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#481562">In reply to BrianEricFord:</a></em></blockquote><p>you know what's the sad part? that when apple/android/linux users do this on ms news, for some reasons nobody complains, it's considered normal … I do this on purpose, and it's so cute to see that suddenly everybody cares</p>

          • nbplopes

            18 October, 2019 - 5:43 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#481672">In reply to dontbeevil:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Nobody complains because such a thing is part of the Windows tech economy. </p><p><br></p><p>When it comes to Apple “hurts” more because it’s uncharacteristic to decades old users :)</p>

  • dontbeevil

    17 October, 2019 - 7:34 am

    <p> "<em>Every year, some pretentious tech blogger has to remind his tech-infatuated (and probably Apple-loving) readers that there’s an Android update problem.</em>"</p><p><br></p><p>Thurrot</p>

    • codymesh

      17 October, 2019 - 9:38 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#481391">In reply to dontbeevil:</a></em></blockquote><p>on the other hand, reminding readers that there is no iOS update problem is very cool and good</p>

      • dontbeevil

        19 October, 2019 - 8:52 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#481414">In reply to codymesh:</a></em></blockquote><p>Funfact… You should thank paul, these are his own words on an android article</p>

  • Stooks

    17 October, 2019 - 8:02 am

    <p>Buggiest iOS I have ever used since my first iPhone 3G. 4 releases and still big bugs. </p><p><br></p><p>That said I still avoid Android like the plague. </p>

    • 02nz

      18 October, 2019 - 10:00 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#481395">In reply to Stooks:</a></em></blockquote><p>I agree the initial release was very buggy, but now seems pretty decent. But even the initial release of iOS 13 was nowhere near as buggy as iOS 11, which was truly horrendous.</p>

      • Paul Thurrott

        Premium Member
        12 January, 2020 - 9:26 am

        You mean the initial 9 releases. They’ve updated iOS 13 repeatedly.

  • anoldamigauser

    Premium Member
    17 October, 2019 - 11:34 am

    <p>Not sure about anyone else, but it seems that 13.1.3 has totally munged OneDrive. When I select Photos, I see a metric crap ton of icons, emojis, thumbnails and other digital detritus.</p><p>On the plus side, it is correctly uploading the photos I have taken, but to get to them I have to browse through files rather than photos.</p><p><img src="https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhTf4wtwDNuSjo0qScFXUr79zBDUCA?e=cfUxvl"><img src=""></p>

  • salman992355

    18 October, 2019 - 5:14 am

    <p><a href="https://www.gadgetssafe.in&quot; target="_blank">Nice post, thanks for sharing</a></p>

  • sannyashi

    18 October, 2019 - 1:30 pm

    <p><a href="aadhardownload.site" target="_blank">Sannyashi</a></p><p>I also received a notice on my iPhone. Every two days, we are updating this error with Apple. Is Apple now becoming like Microsoft Windows?</p>

    • nbplopes

      18 October, 2019 - 5:40 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#481798">In reply to sannyashi:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I share the same concern. Quality as been falling while devices get shinier and prices go up. I guess it his is idea of product management.</p>

    • dontbeevil

      20 October, 2019 - 11:12 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#481798">In reply to sannyashi:</a></em></blockquote><p>welcome to the present, but you'll never see most of this complain from apple fans and "journalists"</p>

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC