There is one indisputable advantage of using an iPhone, and that is the consistent experience related to software updates.
There’s a lot to be said in the never-ending iOS v Android debate. A lot of the criticisms of both platforms are warranted. One area in which iPhone, and hence iOS, are leaps and bounds ahead are in is field of software updates. Around 18 hours ago, Apple released iOS 9.1 with plenty of under-the-hood improvements and other perks, including new emoji which have gotten many people excited. Aside from 9.0 itself, this is the biggest software release Apple will have this year - a major revision to its popular mobile operating system that will be installed on hundreds of millions.
Earlier today, Apple let us know that iOS 9 is now installed on over 60% of devices. That’s not just eligible devices, that’s ALL iOS devices still in use. No small feat in just over a month, when compared to the adoption of Android 5.0, which has been out for nearly a year and is just over 40%.
Now what amazes me is that within these short 18 hours, I have updated all four iPhone devices in my household - quickly and seamlessly. Each device is different, and was released in a different year:
- iPhone 5 - 2012
- 2x iPhone 6 - 2014
- iPhone 6s - 2015
Just to reiterate, they are now all running iOS 9.1, a mere 18 hours after it launched. There was no ‘staged’ release or ‘rollout’ of iOS 9.0 or 9.1, merely a button was pressed in Cupertino and bam! all iPhone models released in 2011 or later got the update.
Android 6.0 has now begun rolling out to ‘select’ phones, and only a handful at that. It will take months, if not years for phones that were released only this year to receive the update. And I can sure as hell say no phone from 2012 will be getting an update to Android 6.0.
So, my point? An undoubtable advantage of using a phone that runs iOS is the consistent and timely updates. Not to mention the huge security benefits that come with software updates, and the risks that arise from running outdated firmware. iPhone owners know when they buy their device it will be supported with new features and security updates through the plentiful and timely software updates provided to them from Apple, for years to come.
Rene Ritchie writing over at iMore puts it better than I can in one of his #SwitchToiPhone articles. If you enjoyed this piece, I strongly recommend you go and check out Rene’s article.