Adoption rate for iOS 17 is surprisingly low

It was on September 18th when Apple released iOS 17 to the public. For many, it was a moment that they had been waiting months for. Others might not have been counting down the days but were still interested in having the latest iOS build running their iPhone. And some might have no idea that iOS 17 is available for them, and frankly, don't care.

Still, the adoption rate of iOS 17 is below normal for this stage in the release cycle and some are pinning it on the three small updates that Apple has released. These include iOS 17.0.1 which was disseminated a few days after the release of iOS 17 in order to patch some security vulnerabilities. A software issue on iOS 17 caused iPhone 15 series handsets getting data transferred to them from older iPhone models to crash; iOS 17.0.2 was developed to fix this problem.

And just the other day, Apple released iOS 17.0.3 to stop iPhone 15 series handsets and some older models from overheating when certain apps (like Instagram, Uber, and mobile game Asphalt 9) were being used. Charging the phone also made affected devices too hot to touch with temperatures reaching as high as 112 degrees Fahrenheit. The update also fixed a couple of security issues.

With all of this in the rearview mirror, Mixpanel (via CultofMac) says that close to 23% of eligible iPhone models are running one of the four iOS 17 releases. 12.13% are running their iPhone on iOS 17.0.2, 6.84% have downloaded iOS 17.0.3, 1.76% are running their iPhones on iOS 17.0.1, and 2% have stuck with iOS 17. Those numbers fall short of the approximately 45% of iPhone users who run their handsets with the last two iOS 16 releases, iOS 16.6.1 and iOS 16.7.

And to make the adoption rate even worse than it seems, consider that iOS 17 was pre-installed on the millions of iPhone 15 series phones that have been sold giving iOS 17 a helping hand. While those refusing to update to iOS 17 are missing some of the bugs, they are missing out on some great features such as StandBy, which turns an iPhone into a limited "smart display" when the phone is plugged in and is in landscape mode.

Those holding off downloading iOS 17 are also missing the ability to leave video messages on FaceTime, monitor voicemail being left in real time with Live Voicemail, create Contact Posters, and use CheckIn to alert friends and family members when they arrive at a specific destination. And these are just some of the features available with the latest iOS build.

The trend is toward slower adoption of iOS updates. Last year, 18 days after it was released, iOS 16 adoption stood at 29% and it took four months for 70% of eligible iPhone users to install iOS 16. Back in 2018, 70% of eligible iPhone models were using iOS 12 about 2 and a half months after the update was released.