iOS 18 Upgrade Rate Revealed: 76% of iPhones Released in the Past Four Years Have Upgraded, But What Other Factors Influence the Decision?

iOS 18 Upgrade Rate Revealed: 76% of iPhones Released in the Past Four Years Have Upgraded, But What Other Factors Influence the Decision?In the fiercely competitive Chinese smartphone market, iPhone's market share growth has been insignificant, even showing a downward trend, indicating a decline in influence. Apple is actively working to reverse this situation, from lowering prices on the iPhone 16 series to continuously optimizing its iOS system, aiming to enhance user experience and stimulate purchasing desire

iOS 18 Upgrade Rate Revealed: 76% of iPhones Released in the Past Four Years Have Upgraded, But What Other Factors Influence the Decision?

In the fiercely competitive Chinese smartphone market, iPhone's market share growth has been insignificant, even showing a downward trend, indicating a decline in influence. Apple is actively working to reverse this situation, from lowering prices on the iPhone 16 series to continuously optimizing its iOS system, aiming to enhance user experience and stimulate purchasing desire. However, this requires time and even more compelling new models to solidify its market position.

Recently, Apple publicly released iOS 18's upgrade rate data for the first time, providing valuable insights into system market acceptance and user feedback. The data shows that iOS 18's upgrade speed is comparable to last year's iOS 17, reflecting Apple's strong position among its user base and high user recognition of system updates. Specifically, among iPhone models released in the past four years, the iOS 18 upgrade rate reached 76%; across all iPhone models, this proportion reached 68%. Considering Apple's massive user base, this upgrade rate signifies that hundreds of millions of users have chosen to update their systems a remarkable achievement.

Notably, iPadOS 18 also performed well. 63% of iPads released in the past four years have upgraded to iPadOS 18, with an overall upgrade rate of 53% across all iPad models. This data is closely related to the wide compatibility of iOS 18. iOS 18 is compatible with all models from the second-generation iPhone SE onwards, totaling 24 models, which undoubtedly expands its potential user base. Furthermore, the iPhone 16 series, as Apple's latest flagship products, comes pre-installed with iOS 18, offering users a seamless upgrade experience.

Despite the high upgrade rate, 19% of iPhone users and 28% of iPad users have chosen to remain on iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 respectively. These users may be hesitant due to concerns about the new system's stability, reliance on older versions, or other personal reasons.

iOS 18 itself boasts impressive features, particularly the highly anticipated Apple Intelligence feature. However, this feature currently only supports the iPhone 15 Pro series and the entire iPhone 16 lineup, and is temporarily unavailable to users in mainland China. This limitation undoubtedly impacts some users' willingness to upgrade. Removing this restriction could significantly boost the upgrade rate. After all, the inability to use new features dampens the enthusiasm of Apple fans, thus affecting the upgrade rate.

iOS 18 continues to improve. The upcoming iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 official releases are expected to further drive user upgrades and introduce more exciting new features. The iOS 18.4 release in April will bring significant new Siri features to iPhones compatible with Apple Intelligence, potentially further enhancing Siri's intelligence and user experience. These updates are expected to increase users' desire to upgrade, but whether the Chinese version will support AI features remains unknown and requires continued monitoring.

Apple promises up to six years of system updates for older iPhones. This means that even users of earlier iPhone models can enjoy the latest system versions and feature updates. Users can choose to upgrade to iOS 18 to experience new features, or remain on older versions while still receiving security patches. The ultimate choice depends on individual user needs.

Finally, hardware limitations also significantly impact the upgrade rate. Some Apple users may not be able to fully experience all the new features offered by iOS 18, which also affects the upgrade rate to some extent.

In summary, the iOS 18 upgrade rate data reflects Apple's user stickiness in system updates, but also reveals multiple factors influencing users' upgrade choices, including the availability of new features, system stability, and hardware performance. The geographical restriction of the Apple Intelligence feature and the impact of subsequent version updates on the upgrade rate warrant attention. Ultimately, users' upgrade decisions depend on their need for new features and their consideration of system stability. So, the question is, have you upgraded to iOS 18? Share your experience and upgrade choices in the comments.