back to article PEAK APPLE: iOS 8 is least popular Cupertino mobile OS in all of HUMAN HISTORY

Half of all fanbois and gurlz have finally installed iOS 8 on their iThings, hammering home the point that Apple's new mobile operating system is much less popular than previous versions. A glance at the Apple developer support page reveals that 52 percent of users have now installed iOS 8 on their iPhone or fondleslab, which …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I disagree.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Perhaps we need a bit more information here - is this 52% of ALL iOS users or 52% of iOS users that could upgrade - remember older iOS devices like the iPhone 3GS, 4, original iPad and iPod (4th Gen) can't run it and I still see quite a lot of people using those older devices.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        >I still see quite a lot of people using those older devices.

        Don't they get the hint their membership to the cool kids club has been revoked and they need to go rebuy more overpriced hardware to replace what works because everyone look at me bling comes first. Every hipster knows and every Apple shareholder counts on this.

  2. an it guy

    from stats, it's actually quite nippy

    Internal stats that I can't release show iOS 8 being a device that's finally quite good at processing the web. beforehand, I was lumping it as about as fast as Windows Vista running IE7 or 9 -- and that's not good, not at all.

    While I prefer android, I think iOS 8 (performance-wise) is a better operating system, so people should be upgrading.

    1. chams

      Re: from stats, it's actually quite nippy

      Gee, thanks for the science.

    2. Admiral Grace Hopper

      Re: from stats, it's actually quite nippy

      Are you bringing facts to an uninformed rant fight? I admire your chutzpah.

    3. chris lively

      Re: from stats, it's actually quite nippy

      iOS 8 is not a"device", it's an operating system. Are you saying that an iphone 6 is faster or are you saying an iphone 5 running ios 8 is faster than an iphone 5 running an older ios?

      Lack of detail doesn't help.

      Personally, I haven't upgraded because I'm not sure why I even need to bother. Nevermind all those people that got burned with bricked devices...

      1. Scuby

        Re: from stats, it's actually quite nippy

        I updated my iPhone 5 to iOS 8 and it was noticeable faster over iOS7, and battery seemed to last longer as well. (My phone is in constant use, web, messaging, facebook, music etc)

        My iPad 2 not so much, after upgrading to iOS 8 the battery doesn't seem to last as long, it takes longer to charge, but other than that no real overall difference in performance.

        1. an it guy

          Re: from stats, it's actually quite nippy

          All right, for those who actually care, here's a rough overview of who *never* fully completed an interaction (requiring 2x automatic interaction with a server). These are from September. Note, you can't get a device type from the information we have (annoying by Apple). As it's anonymised data, should be fine.

          iOS 5: 4.5%

          iOS 6.0.x: ~6%

          iOS 6.1.x: 8-10% (yep, got worse)

          iOS 7.0.x: 10-11%

          iOS 7.1.x: 9%

          iOS 8.0.x: 3% <-- finally got better

          Sample sizes run in the millions over a the last two weeks in September those wanting to try to nitpick.

          Specifically this is measured over users of Safari

  3. Wam

    News?

    Didn't this article come out last week? Oh right, we're past 50 percent now. Please update us again when we reach 55 percent as well.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: News?

      I agree.

      1. Stumpy

        Re: News?

        Of course ... it's an article by Jasper. He doesn't do news....

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    PEAK APPLE: iOS 8 is least popular Cupertino mobile OS in all of HUMAN HISTORY

    What, less popular than Newton OS?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Please go away Jasper, your pathetic click bait stories got old along time ago and this is your second one of the day....

    1. dogged

      I see you clicked.

      1. 45RPM Silver badge

        I was tricked by my RSS reader. Now I feel all dirty.

  6. Steve Todd
    FAIL

    Still refusing to admit

    That its a 1GB download, not 5GB I see Jasper.

    1. Sir Sham Cad

      Re: Still refusing to admit

      My understanding is that the download itself isn't that big but the upgrade process does stuff to your media files that requires up to 5Gb free as it shuffles them about. My fanboi colleague isn't upgrading yet because of that. Oh and there are some bugs that we've found that need squashing.

      Give it a few more releases and I reckon most people who can will have upgraded.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Still refusing to admit

        It is only if you do the upgrade wirelessly that you need all that free space. If you upgrade within iTunes you only need 1 GB free.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          WTF?

          Re: Still refusing to admit

          "It is only if you do the upgrade wirelessly that you need all that free space. If you upgrade within iTunes you only need 1 GB free."

          Oh...right...because that makes sense.

          1. Andrew Hodgkinson

            Re: Still refusing to admit

            Well yes, obviously, it makes a lot of sense.

            If you upgrade on device, then the upgrade archive has to be downloaded to the device filesystem somewhere. So that's 1GB ish. Then you need a bunch of scratch and verification space, probably room to unpack files etc., and though 5GB seems excessive, you can certainly see how there'd be escalating storage requirements - especially with on-device checks and balances to make extra sure if anything goes wrong the OS isn't stuffed.

            When doing it via iTunes, all the big files can be kept on the downloading computer, with only filesystem changes sent over the wired connection to the device. It may well be possible to be much less careful about keeping a consistent system state too, since if you're connected to iTunes, the upgrade process will already have made a restoration file in case things go tits up.

            1. Annihilator

              Re: Still refusing to admit

              "Well yes, obviously, it makes a lot of sense."

              Actually it doesn't - surely if it were done via iTunes it should require zero additional storage:

              1) Take backup (squirt data over USB to computer)

              2) Flash iOS directly over existing iOS

              3) Reboot

              Only additional space required is whatever size larger iOS 8 is over 7. If it's 1GB, that would be a rather terrifying leap.

            2. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Still refusing to admit

              "When doing it via iTunes, all the big files can be kept on the downloading computer, with only filesystem changes sent over the wired connection to the device. "

              And there it is! So, the update really does require 5GB, except some consider using a man in the middle as a magical stick that absolves this reality?

              Next up: How to compress data even further by printing it on paper, then folding!

    2. nanchatte

      Re: Still refusing to admit

      And you got 3 downvotes for being correct. Probably Jasper. Never let facts get in the way of a tasty bit of bait, huh?

    3. ElReg!comments!Pierre

      Re: Still refusing to admit

      That its a 1GB download, not 5GB I see Jasper.

      It's a bit irrelevant. I can install a full-fledged DESKTOP OS* in considerably less space than both numbers. That's after uncompressing everything, AND including a whole bunch of applications. Why the mighty eff does a mobile OS need to be so big while doing so little?

      *complete and up-to-date, too. I'm not talking ancient or exotic OS, just a -somewhat tweaked- Linux distro.

      1. pixl97

        Re: Still refusing to admit

        >Why the mighty eff does a mobile OS need to be so big while doing so little?

        Because Apple doesn't make small. Even on Windows iTunes is huge. It also benefits them if they ignore bloated application sized. Oh, 8GB iPhone isn't big enough, well spend another $100 more for 16GB total storage. iOS running slow? Buy an iPhone 7 with 42 bajillion cores.

        If phones were kept for a long time, or very low profit items, they may focus on more optimized applications, but that is not the case. Phones get replaced fast and ease of programming for the developer is the focus. We're going to have to deal with the fat os for a long time.

  7. Greg D
    WTF?

    I question this....

    "One developer claimed this was because the new operating system was a "nerd release" aimed only at power users."

    ....So a DEVELOPER is moaning that this is a "NERD release"?

    I.. what?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I question this....

      I don't the think developer was moaning about the nerd release. I think the developer was moaning about people moaning...sort of the developer norm in my opinion.

  8. ClockWork2112

    Reality is optional.

    Yeah, the adoption of other mobile OS systems is so much better, like.... No, not that one, no that one neither, wait ... oh no, damn. But hey, as long as we're bashing Apple, reality is optional.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Reality is optional.

      Don't get upset. This is in comparison to all of the gushing articles about how fast iOS7 and iOS6, etc. were adopted. Nobody's taking Steve's name in vain or anything.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Regrets

    I updated to iOS 8 and it has ruined my iPad 2. I very much want to got back to iOS 7 but Apple won't let me. I wonder how many more amongst the 50% regret the upgrade and want to revert to iOS 7.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Regrets

      Those who didn't update their iPad 2 like me have probably learned the hard way before. You now won't make the same mistake again ;)

      1. Shane Sturrock

        Re: Regrets

        Wipe it and set it up as a new iPad. I did that with my iPad mini 1 (basically an iPad 2) because it was constantly stalling doing anything. After a fresh setup it is all smooth and a pleasure to use again. I've since wiped and re-setup all my other iOS devices right back to my iPad 1 which with a fresh install of 5.1.1 is like new, and even my old iPhone 4 appreciated a fresh install of iOS 7.1.2 and is responsive unlike after the upgrades.

        Upgrading an iOS device works OK for a generation or two, but it is good to wipe and start fresh if only to get rid of all the crap apps you've installed over the years.

        1. heyrick Silver badge
          Megaphone

          Re: Regrets

          What is it with Apple? "Wipe it" to make iOS8 work again. Delete and reinstall apps to free up lots of megabytes of "zombie" space. Deleting old sent emails and the bloody mailbox keeps getting larger anyway... (and there's no way to offload any of it onto the PC using iTunes).

          This isn't 1995 guys. Must try harder.

          1. Gene Steinberg

            Re: Regrets

            No, do the update with iTunes. If you have no room for in-device updates, that's how it goes.

            Peace,

            Gene

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Regrets

      Ditto here. I have a first-gen ipad mini. Upgraded to IOS8 and hate it. Apps crash. Web pages load more slowly, then crash. The wife's mini is still on ios7 with no issues. Since I can't go back on mine, I've been tempted to sneak hers away when she's not looking. . .

    3. CmdrX3

      Re: Regrets

      Installed it on my iPhone 4S and it's now full of suckiness. I sort of regretted updating to IOS7 but I definitely regret updating to IOS8.

    4. Ralph B

      Re: Regrets

      I agree that iOS 8.0 on an iPad 2 or iPhone 4S is a disaster. However, it is a wee bit less of a disaster with iOS 8.1.

      If you're stuck with iOS 8.0.x at the moment then an upgrade to iOS 8.1 is definitely to be recommended. And turning off all the effects & spotlight search extensions, etc.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: bit less of a disaster with iOS 8.1.

        Why? I'll just stick to iOS 7.1.2 thanks. When apps I care about eventually stop working I'll buy an Android tablet.

  10. Mark Allen
    WTF?

    What is is about Version 8 of an OS?

    Why don't people like a number 8 in their OS versions?

    1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: What is is about Version 8 of an OS?

      Everything will be all right with Windows 42 Ultimate

      1. Scuby
        Joke

        Re: What is is about Version 8 of an OS?

        Windows 42 will not be the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything!

  11. Frank N. Stein

    I see that Apple still hasn't dealt with the inability to pinch to zoom pics in use for wallpaper. That has been pants, since iOS 7.

  12. Andy Taylor
    Boffin

    Short of space? Plug it in

    If you use iTunes to update, there's no need for the free space shuffle, it just overwrites the old version. It's a lot easier than deleting all your apps.

    1. Gene Steinberg

      Re: Short of space? Plug it in

      Yeah simple. Too bad people in search of silly headlines aren't paying attention.

      Remember, too, that the OS is only a few weeks old. The adoption rate should be considered by the end of the year, after everyone has installed their new iPhones and iPads, and see where it stands. But since more older devices aren't supported, the level will never approach that of iOS 7.

      Now compare Apple's numbers to all other companies, and see where they stand. But the truth hurts.

      Peace,

      Gene

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Apple seems to be gradually become shittier.

    The latest thing that wound me up was a popup notification that has appeared twice now on the latest OSX. "Try out the new Safari".

    The only options being "Okay" or "Later" and no "Piss off I don't want to use that browser" option.

    This is the sort of Microsoft OS mindset, nag people with annoying bullshit until they accept it or find a way to cancel it.

    I'm sure Apple would just say "You got the OS for free didn't you?".

    Jobs would have gone apeshit had he of seen that back in the day.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I admit that sounds annoying, but wouldn't it have taken you less time to click "OK", then immediately exit the browser once it started so it wouldn't ask again later, instead of writing that post?

      1. Oninoshiko

        He shouldn't have to. It smacks of the bundling that got MS in trouble in the 90s. "we have on on the OS, now we're going to harass you into using our browser too."

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Its really only one step above how Windows highlights the newly installed apps in the Start Menu. It isn't asking to be made your default browser, or asking "hey, why the hell didn't you use Safari?" every time you start up Firefox. Comparing it to what Microsoft did in the 90s where they went out of their way to insure that IE was your default browser and borked web standards so web sites would only look correct in IE is ridiculous.

          I agree though that Jobs would not have appreciated it asking at all. If you just upgraded your OS, you can pretty much assume that all built-in applications have been updated, Safari included. It shouldn't bother the user with reminders. If they prefer another browser so be it. Apple isn't trying to subvert web standards and make Safari the only browser capable of viewing the web.

    2. Scroticus Canis
      Gimp

      "Apple seems to be gradually become shittier" - Agree

      OK so Yosemite isn't a mobile op sys but then it does look like iOS8 and also rhymes with shite, which is my rating. Tried it for two days and then reverted to Mavericks which actually does what I want it to. New Safari sucks and lost the features which make the previous version good and likewise iTunes has been borked as well. What really killed Yoshite was it's continuous dropping of the wi-fi connection. A pathetic release if there ever was one. Like Windoze Millennium but worse!

      Ironic to bring out a Retina display iMac and put an op sys with kindergarten designed icons and feel on it.

      1. Irony Deficient

        Yosemite […] also rhymes with shite

        Scroticus Canis, how many syllables are in your pronunciations of Yosemite and shite respectively?

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "Apple seems to be gradually become shittier" - Agree

        "Apple seems to be gradually become shittier" - Agree

        Thirded... Or should that be turded?

        Got a Macbook Pro running Mavericks I took the DVD drive out and put an SSD in there because Mavericks was running so badly. 'Upgraded' to Yosemite on the SSD and while it fixes little issues like wake from sleep they haven't quite mastered the difficult multitasking of wake from sleep and connect to the Wi-Fi network. It connects roughly 2 out of 10 wakes from sleep and when it does it will just randomly drop out.

        Got to the point where I'm tempted to flatten it and just put a linux distro on there

      3. W T Riker

        Re: "Apple seems to be gradually become shittier" - Agree

        you need to ask your children what the cartoon character is called - "Yosemite Sam"

      4. amanfromearth

        Re: "Apple seems to be gradually become shittier" - Agree

        Yosemite does not rhyme with shite.

        It's pronounced yo-sem-me-tee

        Sam would be turning in his cartoon grave..

  14. i like crisps

    The Apple Fanbois are Revolting....

    Ta-dah! :)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The Apple Fanbois are Revolting....

      They always have been

  15. Lost in Cyberspace

    If 64GB+ storage was the norm

    then finding a free 5GB would not be an issue. Too many complaints from clients that their 8GB/16GB iDevice is full... 32GB should be entry level now.

  16. gnasher729 Silver badge

    Surely if 52% of users have iOS 8 installed, then it can't be the "least popular mobile OS"? The one with 48% would be less popular, right?

  17. Ben Burch

    Small machines...

    iOS 8 on a iPhone 4 wouldn't be a great fit because of the amount of RAM it has available. But we recently upgraded to iPhone 5s machines, and it works just great on them.

  18. Anthony Hulse

    Fix the wifi issue, then we'll talk

    My iPad Air frequently just drops off wifi when I'm using it. Never used to happen on iOS7. Until I hear that one is fixed I'll wait on upgrading the iPhone.

    OSX Yosemite can sod off until version 10.10.2 too.

  19. Henry Wertz 1 Gold badge

    'If 64GB+ storage was the norm then finding a free 5GB would not be an issue."

    Unless you actually use all your space.

    "Too many complaints from clients that their 8GB/16GB iDevice is full... 32GB should be entry level now."

    Or the OS update could be less bloated. Honestly 1GB isn't too bad -- but why should it take *5GB* to update that? Even if the old OS was 1GB, download was 1GB (it should be less if it extracts to 1GB), and the download is extracted before it overwrites the old OS (another 1GB), that's 3GB, not 5GB.

  20. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge
    Gimp

    Nerd release?

    Still no user accessible filesystem, still stuck in the walled garden, still using proprietary file transfer, doesn't play nice with Linux, sucks up precious limited storage, and doesn't magically reveal hidden microSD and USB ports.

    Apple doesn't do nerd releases anymore. This is strictly to make Apple appear productive during a lapse of creativity and energy towards new markets.

    1. Frankee Llonnygog

      Re: Nerd release?

      Yeah - it's crap that you can't make phone calls like this any more:

      Frankee's iPhone:~ Frankee$ dial -n 08448544970

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Still more

    IOS 8 users then total of WP users.

    Here comes the down votes - reality stings for some users.

    1. Zippy's Sausage Factory

      Re: Still more

      Good point. In actual number terms, the least popular iOS ever is 1.0. It may have had 100% share at one point, but even the devices that used to run it will have been upgraded since then. There's probably three or four left with it on. Compared to how many million iOS 8?

      So yeah... maths fail

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wish I hadn't upgraded.

    It's easy to see why users are resisting this.

    Well, after iOS 7 required iOS 7.1, I foolishly installed iOS 8, only to find that it wants me to install iOS 8.01 or whatever, but I'm going to wait, as it will want me to install iOS 8.1 next week.

    Hey wait, isn't this the same thing as the issue with Windows 8? But Apple, instead of releasing all the features at once decided to make users upgrade multiple times. Maybe they should test their OS first? After all, they have complete control of of the hardware - can't pull a Microsoft and say "ooh, we never considered that combination of hardware"

  23. David 138

    Installed it my work ipad 4. It really makes bugger all difference having it except all the apple apps dont complain that they need ios 8. I did notice that the animations seemed slightly more choppy. Didnt notice the design change :P as i hadnt really give it enough attention. iOS has always seems rather dull and i cant stand crap on the desktop. I would hate to see the designers desktop.

    Also none of our work Apps broke which means its a minor Apple upgrade. You can spot significant iOS and OSX updates because they break everything like a point release of Java.

  24. stu 4

    No jailbreak yet

    So there's yer problem....

  25. Frankee Llonnygog

    Peak Apple

    This 'peak Apple' thing is getting embarrassing. It's like seeing a needy comedian flogging an unfunny catchphrase. What's the opposite of a meme?

    Maybe Jasper could rebrand - Sid Surface or Dan Droid perhaps. Chris Moyles is looking for a new sidekick.

  26. DeafGoose

    Do not Agree At all with these figures

    I operate a mobile advertising business and we deal with over 20 million users daily. Our statistics are completely different from what is been said in the article.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Buggy

    Or perhaps this is a delayed response to iOS 7 being buggy at first release, and iOS 8 being pretty well the same... Nobody wants an update that slows their phone down and makes their phone a bit dodgy on wifi and chews up battery.

  28. Dieter Haussmann

    The reason is....

    Most people are no longer tethered to iTunes to upgrade over USB.

    Their devices are too full of crap to download and do in-situe update.

  29. Dieter Haussmann

    The reason as said is that the over-the-air update won't fit on a mature device profile (lots of stuff stored). As users seldom use iTunes to manage their i devices, the OTA update needs space to store the payload, extract it, install it and rollback.

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