iOS 7 has had a successful launch by most measures, but it still lags behind iOS 6 at the same point after its release, reports Shane Cole for Apple Insider. Millennial Media found that advertising impressions for iOS 7 was growing at 185 percent per day, down from 264 percent per day from iOS 6. Also, iOS 6 accounted for 35 percent of iOS traffic one week into its launch, while iOS 7 only accounts for 16 percent.
Apple’s success in costumer attraction
Some of the difference can be attributed to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s success in reaching out to new customers. As its user base grows, the number of hardcore Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) users who will immediately switch to the latest gadget or operating system becomes relatively smaller. However, the new operating system has also gotten some bad reviews after new design chief Jony Ive made sweeping changes to the user interface. Some people may simply prefer to stick with what they know for now.
“Because iOS 7 was such a major update, it seems likely that early adopters downloaded it as soon as possible, but for other consumers, there may have been hesitation after reading about how radical the changes were,” says the Millennial Media report.
iOS 7 adoption rate
Of course, Millennial isn’t the only company trying to keep tabs on the iOS 7 adoption rate, and other companies have very different findings. Internet ad firm Chitika estimates that iOS 7 had already been installed on 30 percent of all iPhones just two days after launch, which would be incredible if it turned out to be true. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) hasn’t released any official results yet, though it will probably give some indication of adoption rates when third quarter earnings are announced.
It’s also important to remember that the adoption rate of iOS 7 doesn’t impact Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) sales directly. As long as iOS 6 users buy apps and use their phones in more or less the same way as early adopters, then it won’t affect earnings. It does say something about user confidence in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) products, and a sharp drop would have been signs of trouble down the road, but a slightly slower transition is unlikely to hit the bottom line.
