Apple iOS 9 Adoption Hits 70 Percent

Two and a half months after making its debut, Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 9, is now running on 70 percent of all compatible iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices accessing the App Store, the Cupertino tech giant revealed on its developer support site this week.

According to Apple, 22 percent of iOS devices are now running the older iOS 8, while just 8 percent are still on iOS 7 and earlier versions of the software. That's good news for app developers, who can focus on supporting iOS 9 and 8, and know they're covering 92 percent of iOS users.

Apple started releasing mobile OS share in mid-2013, a move that was largely viewed as a shot at Google and Android fragmentation. The search giant also releases its OS stats each month, but the open nature of Android and the carrier-based upgrade system means it often takes awhile for people to get the newest version of Android, unless you buy a brand-new phone.

According to stats released on Nov. 2, only about 0.3 percent of Android devices run Android Marshmallow. Most are on KitKat (37.8 percent), followed by Jelly Bean at 29 percent and Lollipop at 25.6 percent.

Launched on Sept. 16, iOS 9 reached 50 percent adoption just five days after its release, the fastest any version reached that milestone. At the time, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller said iOS 9 was "on pace to be downloaded by more users than any other software release in Apple's history."

The operating system comes with a range of new features, as well as bug fixes and new apps, including News, which provides users easy access to content that interests them. It also features a redesigned Notes app and includes transit information for its Maps navigation platform. For more, check out Before and After iOS 9: What's Different?

The success of iOS 9 comes after Apple had some trouble getting iOS 8, its predecessor, out of the gate. That operating system was hampered by bugs and an infamously huge installer that ultimately caused rather slow adoption.

If you're among the 30 percent of iOS users who have yet to download iOS 9, take a peek at the video below, as well as 28 iOS 9 Tips for Apple Fanatics.