Apple breaks another record: iOS 9 now on 50% of devices

Steven Loeb · September 21, 2015 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/4039

This is the fastest adoption of an iOS operating system, and it is set to be the most download ever

Everything's coming up Apple!

Well, that's nothing new, especially when the company has a new iPhone coming out. Something feels different this time though, for some reason. The excitement level for what the company is doing seems higher than ever.

Even a software update is becoming something to celebrate, as Apple revealed on Monday that iOS 9 has already been downloaded on 50% of all devices.

That means that the operating system now has the the fastest iOS adoption ever. Interestingly, while iOS 9 has a 12% adoption rate in its first 24 hours, a pretty impressive number, it was actually said to be running slightly behind where iOS 8 had been the year before; the previous released had a 16% adoption rate in the same timeframe.

There had been rumors of server problems that caused problems with some users getting the latest update; now that those have been fixed, the floodgates have opened and iOS 9 has surged ahead.

It is “on pace to be downloaded by more users than any other software release in Apple’s history," according to a statement by Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

Apple did not reveal any statistics about any records for adoption of any of its previous iOS releases. VatorNews has reached out to the company for more information and we will update this story accordingly. 

This isn't the only record that Apple has said it has broken recently. Without giving any numbers, the company revealed last week that it pre-orders of the device were on pace to beat the first-weekend record set last year, when the iPhone 6 sold 10 million units.

It should be noted that, while Apple keeps breaking its own sales records, the increase is beginning to shrink.

The launch of the new iPhone 5s and 5c in 2013 saw nine million units sold, meaning that the iPhone 6 models broke the record, but only by one million. Compare that to the growth that Apple saw between the launch of the iPhone 5, which sold five million units in its first weekend in 2012, and then the newer iPhone models, and things maybe don't look so rosy. It has gone from nearly doubling sales between releases, to just barely squeaking by.

Of course, maybe the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s plus did even better; we won't know that until Apple releases some hard numbers.

Those shouldn't be too far off, since the phone officially goes on sale on Friday of this week. 

What's new

With iOS 9, Apple has enhanced performance, battery life, and security, while giving much needed improvements to certain apps, and adding new ones.

That includes a news app for the homescreen; an update to the Notes app to allow users to add photos, maps and weblinks; the addition of public transportation to Maps; more access to Wallet; a new iCloud Drive app; multitasking features like split view and picture in picture; and enhanced capabilities for Siri.

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will keep the same sizes as the iPhone 6, with 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch screens, respectively. What is changing is on what is on the inside.

The new phones have a new 64-bit A9 processor, which Schiller said can improve graphics, making them render up to 90 percent faster. Users will see this mostly in games and video.

They will also come with 3D Touch, which detect how the user is touching the screen. If the user presses down longer then normal, the screen will respond differently. It basically allows users to see inside things like their email or apps without having to open them first. 

Where the the new iPhones really shine is when it comes to photos. The devices have a 12-megapixel camera, and it now comes with a feature called Live Photos, which animated still photos. Rather than taking a video, it simply extends the capture time, allowing the user to then play them back as if they were happening live.

The iPhone 6s will start at $199 with a two-year contract, while the iPhone 6s Plus starts at $299.

(Image source: neurogadget.com)

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