Nearly 30% of Apple's first-gen iPhones are still in use - report

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Just 2 percent of all iPhone OS handsets still in use are Apple's first-generation iPhone, but a new calculation estimates that amounts to nearly 30 percent of the 6.1 million iPhones sold between June 2007 and July 2008.



Mobile advertising firm AdMob released its monthly Mobile Metrics report on Tuesday, which included information on the hardware and software used by owners of Apple's handsets in the month of March. The data revealed that just 2 percent of all iPhone OS-based handsets that accessed the AdMob network were the first-generation iPhone.



Philip Elmer-DeWitt of Fortune Brainstorm Tech took the data one step further, and factored in Apple's announced total of 85 million worldwide iPhone and iPod touch sales. After it debuted in June 2007 until the iPhone 3G came out in July 2008, the first-generation iPhone sold 6.1 million units, which is about 7 percent of the 85 million total handsets sold.



"If 7% of those iPhone 1Gs are driving 2% of AdMob's traffic," Elmer-DeWitt wrote, "that suggests that nearly one in three is still ticking -- and visiting the Web."



Though the first iPhone has been supported since its release, Apple earlier this month announced that its forthcoming iPhone OS 4 upgrade will not be available for the first-generation device. In addition, the iPhone 3G, first released in 2008, will not have the mobile operating system's multitasking support available for the faster iPhone 3GS.







AdMob's latest report also revealed that the iPhone 3GS is the most popular iPhone, generating 39 percent of all its network's traffic in March 2010. That's up from the 30 percent total seen by its network in September 2009.







All versions of the iPhone represent 60 percent of the iPhone OS devices found on the AdMob network. The iPod touch represents the other 40 percent, with the second-generation iPod touch the second most popular device, behind the iPhone 3GS. The second-gen iPod touch accounted for 25 percent of iPhone OS devices in March 2010, beating out the iPhone 3G which was represented by 20 percent of Apple's mobile devices.



The study also found that 44 percent of iPhone OS users are running version 3.1.3, and 42 percent run 3.1.2. Just 5 percent of users are running either version 1.0 or 2.0 software on their handset.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 74
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    What's happened to the other 70%? Recycled, I hope.
  • Reply 2 of 74
    cgc0202cgc0202 Posts: 624member
    There was a time a phone used to last forever. Now, when I go to the phone store to have my old phone "maintained", the clerk tells me, it is too old (after two years). They want me to buy a new one.



    It just happened to coincide with their renewal cycle.



    CGC.
  • Reply 3 of 74
    After using the 3GS, I couldn't imagine going back to those slow processing days.



    Love the form factor of the original, love the guts of the current.
  • Reply 4 of 74
    My wife and I still have ours. They continue to work wonderfully. Battery life is a bit of a stinker but it always has been with this phone. Still can't decide if I want to upgrade this season or not.
  • Reply 5 of 74
    msanttimsantti Posts: 1,377member
    The wife and I are still running our original iPhones.



    Battery life is for sure shortened but not as bad as one might think. Phones are still working good.



    Passed on the 3G and was seriously considering the 3GS but never bought.



    I think it might be about time to pull the trigger this summer on Apples next iPhone creation.



    Also bought an iPad 3 weeks ago and love it.
  • Reply 6 of 74
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    This article may bring out the crazies complaining that Apple is no longer supporting the original iPhone after only 3 years of rich updates.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cgc0202 View Post


    There was a time a phone used to last forever. How, when I go to the phone store to have my old phone "maintained", the clerk tells me, it is too old (after two years).



    It just happened to coincide with their renewal cycle.



    CGC.



    Which phones lasted forever?
  • Reply 7 of 74
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by msantti View Post


    The wife and I are still running our original iPhones.

    [...]

    I think it might be about time to pull the trigger this summer on Apples next iPhone creation.



    You're in for a treat. The difference between models was pronounced, so skipping 2 models will have to be night and day in terms of speed and functionality.
  • Reply 8 of 74
    These statistics are very telling. I can see why Apple would not support my iPhone 2G any more.

    Those 1G survivors have not upgraded because of they lack money and their trusted iPhone still works.



    Also, great job on having all device on the latest OS. I don't know another platform that after 3 years has 95 percent of its devices running the latest software.



    How does Android compare to that?



    Quote:

    You're in for a treat. The difference between model was pronounced, so skipping 2 models will have to be night and day in terms of speed and functionality.



    100% agreed. I hope I will be able available in my country soon and I will be able to afford one
  • Reply 9 of 74
    This analysis includes only people that have accessed AdMob through Apps or web sites I believe. I'm sure there is a significant group of users that just use their iPhones for cell phone, email and calendaring so this number could be even higher.
  • Reply 10 of 74
    mebbertmebbert Posts: 56member
    I am writing this comment on my iPhone 2G. It has been a great phone! It runs very slowly with OS 3.0, but I feel very fortunate to have an iPhone at all. I can't stand most other phones.



    My wife was also still using hers until it had an encounter with the asphalt a few months ago. Now she is using her old entry-level samsung. It's painful to use that thing.
  • Reply 11 of 74
    swingeswinge Posts: 110member
    I upgraded to a white, 32GB 3GS but just couldn't sell my orignal iPhone. The design is so beautiful....Though the partial aluminum backing ultimately didn't make sense...it's such a sturdy, solid design. It's also simply a piece of history at this point....Will be like owning one of the original Macintosh computers.
  • Reply 12 of 74
    smiles77smiles77 Posts: 668member
    Wow. I have to say, it is pretty amazing that Apple has gotten all but 5% of their users to upgrade to 3.x. Imagine any platform trying to get their users to upgrade to a new version (OS, web browser, or otherwise). 5% is pretty incredible.
  • Reply 13 of 74
    cgc0202cgc0202 Posts: 624member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Which phones lasted forever?



    That was a figure of speech -- forever. The mechanical phones (pre-smartphones) did last very long. I had a mechanical phone when I was a student. It was packed with my old stuff. And when I moved to another state, after more than a decade, I found the old phone during the unpacking, It still worked. I used it as an extension phone in the kitchen. It was still wroking when I moved again, after so many years, but I had so much stuff, it had to go.



    My first cell phone lasted more than five years. My carrier wanted to give me a free phone, but I do not want the two-year contract that goes with each new phone. I dropped it unfortunately while on travel and it "broke", The next cell phone I had barely lasted two years,



    I want the iPhone but I do not want to pay all those other charges from AT&T, I might get one eventually, for business using multiple user plans (ala family plan) if that is allowed. That may be cheaper overall, with unlimited plan.



    CGC
  • Reply 14 of 74
    Still using our 1st gen iPhones around the house as iPod touch clones and remotes for Apple TV, etc...
  • Reply 15 of 74
    askewaskew Posts: 21member
    Still using my 1st generation iPhone.



    I've had opportunities to upgrade, but I like it just fine.



    I'm amused every time a latecomer to the iPhone party looks at my phone and asks if it's a new model.



    My iPad 64GB+3G is coming on Friday, so I'm going to figure out if I still have a need for a smart phone.
  • Reply 16 of 74
    cgc0202cgc0202 Posts: 624member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by swinge View Post


    I upgraded to a white, 32GB 3GS but just couldn't sell my orignal iPhone. The design is so beautiful....Though the partial aluminum backing ultimately didn't make sense...it's such a sturdy, solid design. It's also simply a piece of history at this point....Will be like owning one of the original Macintosh computers.



    The iPad Wifi design reminds me of the aluminum-backed iPhone. My first iPod also had aluminum (?) backing. Quite elegant, It never got dinged even after I dropped it a gazillion times. I like the first generation iPhone design more than the design of the next two generations.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Askew View Post


    My iPad 64GB+3G is coming on Friday, so I'm going to figure out if I still have a need for a smart phone.



    I met an Australian tourist who I mistakenly took as an Apple employee (he was wearing a blue shirt) while using a number of the Apple products at the Boylston street branch.



    He said he bought his iPad Wifi and used it as his phone while he travels here in the US -- using Skype. He stated the speaker was very clear, no need even for a bluetooth earpiece. Of course, he could only used it when there is a wifi around but there were many free wifi among the other countries he had visited.



    He claimed that the $500 he paid was already more than compensated by the amount it would have cost him using "international rates" with a regular phone.



    The iPad is the first Apple product that I would have bought as a first generation. It was so tempting while I was trying it at the store. I am trying to control my urge to do so.



    I usually buy the second generation, to ensure that the first generation "issues" are resolved. But, there are several biomedical apps, I wanted to try in the iPad soon...



    CGC
  • Reply 17 of 74
    williamgwilliamg Posts: 322member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    This article may bring out the crazies complaining that Apple is no longer supporting the original iPhone after only 3 years of rich updates.







    Which phones lasted forever?



    My Motorola E815 still works great. I got it long before the original iPhone was released, and even longer before I switched to ATT.



    I was using it to listen to MP3s and to surf the WAP back in the day. It was a great phone, an OK MP3 player, and a mediocre web device.



    I replaced it with a Palm Treo, and I replaced that with a 3GS when I went with ATT.



    As a phone, the MOTO was better than the iPhone. The speaker phone worked MUCH better, the reception was better, and the phone functions were easier to use.
  • Reply 18 of 74
    williamgwilliamg Posts: 322member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lantinian View Post


    Also, great job on having all device on the latest OS. I don't know another platform that after 3 years has 95 percent of its devices running the latest software.






    According to the article, only about 40 percent of the devices run the latest software.
  • Reply 19 of 74
    aaarrrggghaaarrrgggh Posts: 1,609member
    Happily using my Edge iPhone. I get better signal than my wife's 3G, but most importantly mine is not SIM-locked so I can easily travel with it. That has been my biggest barrier to upgrade; I was all set to get a 3GS but with the lack of progress on the unlocking front it just became stupid.



    Bought an iPad, and might just couple that with a no-frills phone if I can't unlock the phone. Disappointed Apple doesn't sell unlock codes for a premium after 3-12 months of service...
  • Reply 20 of 74
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,855member
    Interesting stats on the 2nd vs. 3rd gen iPod Touches.
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