iPhone OS: Not Worth $10
December 18th, 2009
Yes, we know it now costs $5, but looking at the numbers, it appears that users of devices with iPhone OS on them aren’t willing to pay for it. iPhone users, who have always been able to upgrade to OS 3.0 for free, use the more recent versions 94.4% of the time. iPod Touch users, who are required to pay between $5 and $10 depending on timing, only use 3.x 55.24% of the time.
What’s it all mean? Well, despite its hype, iPhone OS 3.0 had very little to offer iPod Touch users. Push notifications? MMS? Tethering? Essentially useless on a device that relies on WiFi for a connection. iPod Touch users are essentially asked to pay for copy/paste, in-app purchases, and the ability to buy a segment of the latest apps from the app store.
If you take into account the number of iPod Touches purchased between iPhone OS 3.0’s release (June 17th, 2009) and the time of this report, the 55% becomes even more indicative of iPod users’ unwillingness to pay for OS updates. All iPod Touches over the past six months have had OS 3.x pre-installed on them already. Perhaps it’s time for Apple to give iPod Touch users the latest OS for free.
The numbers:
| iPhone OS Version | % of iPod Users | % iPhone Users |
|---|---|---|
| 3.x | 55.24% | 94.4% |
| 2.x | 44.76% | 5.6% |
Numbers are based on a sample of traffic through the Chitika advertising network.
About Chitika
Chitika, Inc., is a search-based online advertising network, leading the way in intent-based advertising and search engine insights. Chitika provides publishers with an innovative way to monetize search engine traffic, and advertisers a new way of generating leads with clear consumer intent. With over 60,000 sites and 2 billion monthly impressions, the Chitika network is the pulse of the online world. Through research and targeting, Chitika continually evolves its image as “the ad network that knows when not to show ads.” For more information, visit http://chitika.com
Contact:
Daniel Ruby
Research Director, Online Insights
Chitika, Inc.
+866.441.7203 x966
press@chitika.com
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The Ipod touches sold in June and even July DID NOT have OS 3.0 pre-installed.
I know this because I bought my Ipod Touch after the release of OS 3.0 but it still had the OS 2 software.
Very Apple like, too marketing and financial return driven…
Despite its hype, iPhone OS 3.0 had very little to offer iPod Touch users for a device that depends on wireless connection.