iOS 18 Adoption Hits 68% Among iPhone Users

Roughly 68% of all iPhones are now running iOS 18, rising to 76% for models released in the last four years, according to the latest statistics from Apple.

It doesn’t seem like users have been quick to upgrade and check out Apple’s newest suite of generative AI products, Apple Intelligence. Adoption figures for iOS 18 are roughly the same as those for iOS 17 at this time last year, just 2% higher, 9to5Mac points out.

Apple iPad users generally haven’t been in any rush to download the newest operating system either. Just over half—53%—of all iPads are running iPadOS 18, which rises to 63% for tablets released in the last four years. A notable cohort of 10% of users are still using operating systems older than iPadOS 17.

Apple’s iOS 18 was released in September 2024, which added a more customizable interface, allowing users to personalize their iPhone’s Home and Lock screens more freely than before. It also brought a redesigned and more advanced Photos app, as well as Rich Communication Services (RCS), making it easier for iPhone users to share photos with Android users.

That was followed by iOS 18.1 in October, which brought the first few Apple Intelligence features. In December, iOS 18.2 added a ChatGPT integration, and more.

Apple is set to release iOS 18.3 soon, which will include additional Apple Intelligence features, such as the introduction of Visual Intelligence. This feature will allow users to identify plants and animals by pointing their phone’s camera at them, and it can even help identify potential allergens.

Apple Intelligence will be enabled by default, though users will have the option to opt-out.

The rollout of Apple Intelligence may not have significantly boosted interest among smartphone buyers overall; global iPhone sales dropped 4.1% in Q4 2024, according to data from IDC, capturing 23.2% of the overall market.

About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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