Adoption of Apple’s iOS 9 mobile operating system slowed considerably in November, even as the total adoption rate hit 70%.
The latest numbers come from iOS App Store checks on Nov. 30, which Apple posted to its developer webpage this week. According to the statistics, 22 percent of eligible devices are running last year’s iOS 8, while users operating iOS 7 and earlier account for the remaining 8 percent share.
Although iOS 9’s adoption rate slowed to a trickle in November, its rate of adoption compares favorably with previous iOS releases. At approximately the same time last year, iOS 8 was installed on only 60% of compatible devices. As AppleInsider notes, 8’s low adoption rate at that point in time was likely due to issues users had with a point update that made other users reluctant to update their devices.
iOS 9.1 debuted in November, and its Live Photo enhancements, and probably more importantly, its 150 new emoji characters, drove adoption rates up another 9% in early November.
