Chitika: iOS 4 already powering 50% of iPhone traffic

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
A third party analytics firm is reporting that Apple's iOS 4 is now powering half of all iPhones, just one month after its release.



Chitika Research compiles its statistics by looking at 9 million ad impressions it has served to iPhone users running apps that incorporate its banners. The data does't include users who don't install apps with Chitika's ads, so may present a slight bias toward users who actively install apps, and therefore users who are more likely to install software updates.



Of the 50 percent running iOS 4, 10 percent have upgraded to 4.0.1, which Apple released July 15, just a week ago.



Of the other half of iPhone users running an earlier version of iOS, nearly 60% are running the latest 3.1.3 version predating iOS 4 (29.9 percent of all iPhone users). About 20 percent of all iPhone users have not updated their devices since at least last October, according to Chitka's data. One percent are still using 2.0. No users still using 1.0 would be running apps, and therefore would be invisible in Chitika's analytics.



Apple makes it relatively easy to upgrade to the latest version of iOS through iTunes, and all iPhone users are able to update, for free, to the latest version except for first generation iPhone users, which are stuck with iOS 3.1.3.







Android lags behind in updates



In contrast, Google reports that 55.5 percent of Android users are still using Android 2.1, which was officially released back in January, although it rolled out to users very slowly. Only 3.3 percent of Android users have the latest Android OS 2.2 Froyo, which was officially announced in May.



However, Android users aren't just failing to upgrade; Google and its hardware and carrier partners have not made 2.2 available on any new handsets apart from Google's own Nexus One, which is not even available for sale anymore.



Most modern Android phones can't officially be upgraded to the latest 2.2 yet either, due to problems being worked out between the vendors and mobile carriers, which hold up upgrade releases until they've added to or otherwise tweaked the standard distribution to fit their needs.



Another 41 percent of Android users are stuck with Android OS 1.5 or 1.6, but unlike iPhone users who haven't upgraded, in most cases those users won't ever be able to upgrade to the latest version of the Android OS, simply because neither Google nor the carriers nor handset makers see any need to create a custom version of the latest Android 2.x that can run on those phones.



The fractionalization of Android is a problem for developers, who must test their software titles against not just a variety of hardware devices with different specifications, but also against a wide variety of installed software versions that differ significantly in the APIs they support.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35
    I agree with your take on the fractionalization of Android, mathematically it is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer, but others in the tech media world seem to be glossing over this issue. With all the stick-poking-in-the-eye they are doing to Apple over the more recent issues, this seems to be a little unhelpful to all the consumers they seem to be trying to protect from Apple. I guess I can figure out why...



    as an addendum, I am a new to AT&T iPhone 4 user, using 4.0.1 on four family-planned iPhone 4s
  • Reply 2 of 35
    dlcmhdlcmh Posts: 43member
    It'll be interesting to see what approach games developers will take to cater the multitude of hardware and screen variations across Android devices.
  • Reply 3 of 35
    mbarriaultmbarriault Posts: 237member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dlcmh View Post


    It'll be interesting to see what approach games developers will take to cater the multitude of hardware and screen variations across Android devices.



    They likely won't. I imagine any game market on Android will proceed largely like existing gaming hardware, with developers releasing for the latest models only.
  • Reply 4 of 35
    So, if flash 10.1 only works on android 2.2, and if the only phone that can use android 2.2, the nexus one, is dead as a doornail, then mobile flash is dead too..stillborn. Anyone for a little HTML5?
  • Reply 5 of 35
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    The dissenters were saying that iOS users won't update as often or as quickly as Android users because it's not an OTA update. Time to rewrite your positions on the matter, Trolls.



    PS: In case a few of you missed the news, the only Android phone, the Nexus One, running the latest version of Android, Froyo v2.2, has been discontinued. How long before v2.2 is officially pushed to another Android phone on the market?
  • Reply 6 of 35
    Not this little black duck.



    iOS4 practially bricked my 3G.



    80 days outside of warranty, Apple replaced my handset.



    Issues:



    * iPhone restarting itself

    * iPhone running at snail pace

    * iPhone freezing with no response



    Evidently, Sydney Morning Herald purported other users having similar issues, advising against the update. Happy the replacement has 3.1.3.
  • Reply 7 of 35
    rkrickrkrick Posts: 66member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    The dissenters were saying that iOS users won't update as often or as quickly as Android users because it's not an OTA update. Time to rewrite your positions on the matter, Trolls.



    PS: In case a few of you missed the news, the only Android phone, the Nexus One, running the latest version of Android, Froyo v2.2, has been discontinued. How long before v2.2 is officially pushed to another Android phone on the market?



    Yeah, where are the trolls anyhow? I was expecting them to have already attempted to twist this story around in their favor.
  • Reply 8 of 35
    extremeskaterextremeskater Posts: 2,248member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tomlawler View Post


    So, if flash 10.1 only works on android 2.2, and if the only phone that can use android 2.2, the nexus one, is dead as a doornail, then mobile flash is dead too..stillborn. Anyone for a little HTML5?



    Not sure why you believe only the Nexus One will get Android 2.2. Nearly every new Android based phone will be running 2.2 by the end of the year including the Incredible, Evo and Droid X.
  • Reply 9 of 35
    extremeskaterextremeskater Posts: 2,248member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    The dissenters were saying that iOS users won't update as often or as quickly as Android users because it's not an OTA update. Time to rewrite your positions on the matter, Trolls.



    PS: In case a few of you missed the news, the only Android phone, the Nexus One, running the latest version of Android, Froyo v2.2, has been discontinued. How long before v2.2 is officially pushed to another Android phone on the market?



    Most new Android phones will have 2.2 by the end of the year. Or at least thats the latest news.



    In any case I would expect iOS updates to be faster then Android. While I like my Android phone history has already proven Android updates may never come.
  • Reply 10 of 35
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by extremeskater View Post


    Most new Android phones will have 2.2 by the end of the year. Or at least thats the latest news.



    In any case I would expect iOS updates to be faster then Android. While I like my Android phone history has already proven Android updates may never come.



    The irony is that the flagship Android phone for the past 6 months, that all demos of Flash 10.1 and other advancements were done on a device that is now discontinued. Not even after a year and there is no Nexus One II or Nexus Two or whatever taking its place.



    I’d like to think that most new Android-based phones will be getting v2.2 as it’s really a great improvement over v2.1, but the history of Android releases doesn’t seem to promising to me. Sure, the faster, higher end Android phones will get it out of the gate, but even now I think you can get a new Android phone running v1.6. Luckily for Android OS, Moto and HTC will be at the forefront making Android look pretty good.
  • Reply 11 of 35
    chopperchopper Posts: 246member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    The dissenters were saying that iOS users won't update as often or as quickly as Android users because it's not an OTA update. Time to rewrite your positions on the matter, Trolls.



    PS: In case a few of you missed the news, the only Android phone, the Nexus One, running the latest version of Android, Froyo v2.2, has been discontinued. How long before v2.2 is officially pushed to another Android phone on the market?



    In case you've missed the news, the Nexus is no longer available from Google directly but it's still being manufactured, and can be purchased from Vodafone where that brand operates, such as the UK and even my little old stomping ground, New Zealand.



    Being the reference platform for Android, I doubt it will be discontinued in the near future. That's just my opinion though.



    Froyo is already available for those who wish to update manually, and the handset makers including Motorola and HTC have indicated that the OTA updates are on their way.



    In other news, Gingerbread is being beta tested also, so there's no apparent shortage of OS development.



    But I mention these things only because there seems to be a trend by some posters to repeat the extraordinary unsupported claims by the Super Apologist? writer of the PR piece above, without making even cursory attempts to verify them.



    (Why I bother attempting to put the record straight, I really don't know. Masochism, maybe...)



    Meanwhile I'll point out that I have yet to update to iOS 4, but will do so once I'm sure that there's no issues with my 3Gs.
  • Reply 12 of 35
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chopper View Post


    In case you've missed the news, the Nexus is no longer available from Google directly but it's still being manufactured...



    Talk about missing the news. Google announced they were no selling it online back in May, but last week the popular in name ? but not in sales ? handset was discontinued.

    Quote:

    On Friday, July 16th, Google confirmed that the Nexus One will be discontinued and that the company has received it?s final order of handsets from the phone maker HTC.



    Before you say it, a carrier still offering the device doesn?t mean it?s still being produced, it only means they have stock to sell.



    Of course, if you think that story is a lie by all means defend your position.
  • Reply 13 of 35
    orlandoorlando Posts: 601member
    50% of iPhones are using iOS4; I just wish I wasn't one of them!



    On the iPhone 3G, the performance of iOS4 is terrible. Apple should either have optimized their code better or not released iOS4 for the 3G.
  • Reply 14 of 35
    chopperchopper Posts: 246member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Talk about missing the news. Google announced they were no selling it online back in May, but last week the popular in name — but not in sales — handset was discontinued.





    Before you say it, a carrier still offering the device doesn’t mean it’s still being produced, it only means they have stock to sell.



    Of course, if you think that story is a lie by all means defend your position.



    For one thing, Vodafone New Zealand have just begun to sell the Nexus One (here) over the last couple of days, (look at the date of the PR announcement), an unlikely scenario for a handset that's not going to be in their supply chain owing to its being discontinued.



    The announcement from Google was they had sold the last handset and were selling no more. Show me the manufacturer's announcement that they have discontinued making the Nexus One and I'll concede your point. Until then, you're just repeating the same old Android-Hater bollocks.



    Pitiful.
  • Reply 15 of 35
    icyfogicyfog Posts: 338member
    Wow ... 50 percent. That's an amazing stat if true.
  • Reply 16 of 35
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    PS: In case a few of you missed the news, the only Android phone, the Nexus One, running the latest version of Android, Froyo v2.2, has been discontinued. How long before v2.2 is officially pushed to another Android phone on the market?



    It hasn't been discontinued, Google has stopped direct selling the device, they are distributed it via partners now.
  • Reply 17 of 35
    Based on the pie charts pasted in the article, it looks like the iPhone is more fractured than the Android platform.



    I guess the authors point is the iPhone will converge on its current platform faster than Android - but in the current state, there are more fractures and OS versions to develop against with the iPhone than the Android.
  • Reply 18 of 35
    rtm135rtm135 Posts: 310member
    Before I got the IP4, I upgraded my 3G to IOS4 and things actually felt snappier. same goes for 2 of my friends that upgraded with the same equipment. kinda strange.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Orlando View Post


    50% of iPhones are using iOS4; I just wish I wasn't one of them!



    On the iPhone 3G, the performance of iOS4 is terrible. Apple should either have optimized their code better or not released iOS4 for the 3G.



  • Reply 19 of 35
    bigmikebigmike Posts: 266member
    After I upgraded to OS4, my 3G feels slooooowwwwwww. Anyone know a solution for downgrading?
  • Reply 20 of 35
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Orlando View Post


    50% of iPhones are using iOS4; I just wish I wasn't one of them!



    On the iPhone 3G, the performance of iOS4 is terrible. Apple should either have optimized their code better or not released iOS4 for the 3G.



    It?s funny, there is less backlash from shipping iOS 4.0 code for the 3G that it clearly can?t handle than there would be if they simply limited the update features more to keep more responsive. I know this is a fact but there was general outcry over the lack of Home Screen backgrounds, which are more than a simple still image.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bigmike View Post


    After I upgraded to OS4, my 3G feels slooooowwwwwww. Anyone know a solution for downgrading?



    Here you go.
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