Apple's App Store{.nofollow} version tracker now lists iOS 10 as having 54% adoption. That's following launch on September 16. 54% is slightly lower than the 57% recorded by iOS 9 by the this time last year, but iOS 9 kept the same device compatibility as iOS 8, while iOS 10 removed compatibility for a number of popular devices, including the 2011 iPhone 4s and iPad 2. What's more, unlike previous years, there weren't any popups or bright red badges prompting people to update until well after the first-week early-adopter surge wound down. That helped make sure the servers could take the initial load.
iOS 10 still shipped to every model of iPhone and iPad released since late 2012, on every carrier, in every region, all on the same day. That includes iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 5 as well as iPad Pro 12.9, iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad 4, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, and iPad mini 2.
That's monumental when you consider Samsung's 2012 Galaxy S III can only run up to Android 4.4 Kit Kat, which was released in late 2014. Even Google's own 2012 Nexus 4, can only be officially updated to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
The latest version is Android 7.0, Nougat, announced earlier this year, but due to how Android works, has yet to reach a measurable number of devices. (Last year's Android 6.0 Marshmallow is currently sitting at just under 19%, according to Google Play.)
Imagine if iPhone 5 was stuck on iOS 5 or iOS 7, and iOS 10 hadn't reached 1% of iPhones or iPads yet? Or iPhone 7 owners were worried Verizon wouldn't okay the same updates?
Now, comparing iOS updates to Android updates isn't apples to oranges. There are a variety of reasons why an operating system created by Google but deployed by a wide range of vendors across hundreds of carries will never equal the penetration rate of an integrated, determined company like Apple.
But that's not the customer's problem. Updates, especially security updates, represent not only significant ongoing value, but table stakes. And that's what Apple is delivering.
