iOS 8 Downloads Cause Spike in Web Traffic as Adoption Rate Climbs Slowly

Apple yesterday released iOS 8 to the public, opening the doors for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners to download and install Apple’s latest version of iOS on their devices. According to The Guardian, this release caused internet traffic to surge in the UK by as much as 60 percent compared to the same time the previous day as millions of iOS users rushed to update their devices.

Data from LONAP shows that web traffic surged just as iOS 8 was released at 6:00 PM UK time. Traffic remained strong for several hours, with a peak at 8:00 PM in the UK as more than 70 gigabits per second were being transferred through LONAP’s exchange.

iOS 8 adoption from Mixpanel

iOS 8 may have caused web traffic to briefly increase, but the first-day adoption rate of the mobile operating system is relatively low when compared to previous iOS rollouts. According to analytics firm Mixpanel, only 14 percent of the iOS devices that it tracks are currently running iOS 8. Data from mobile marketing company Fiksu shows a similar slow uptake in iOS 8 with the adoption of Apple’s latest iOS version trailing the last that of the last several iOS launches.

Fiksu iOS 8 Tracker
The slower update rate may be due to a record number of iPhone owners purchasing new devices. Apple sold more than four million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units in the first 24 hours that pre-orders were available last week. Customers who are receiving a new phone in the coming weeks may delay upgrading their current device, opting instead to prepare the handset for sale.

Another factor may be the large storage size required for the over-the-air updates. Though the iOS 8 update was just over 1 GB in size, it required 4.6 GB of free storage space on an iPhone and almost 7 GB of free storage on an iPad for installation. That’s almost half the free space available on a 16 GB device, forcing many owners to decide whether to delete content from their devices or install the update.

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iOS 8 Keyboards Climb to Top of App Store Charts

With yesterday’s launch of iOS 8, devices running the new operating system are now able to install third-party keyboards that work on a systemwide basis. Most of the major keyboard makers were ready for the launch, introducing iOS 8 versions of their keyboards into the iOS App Store. One day after launch, three of these keyboards, including Fleksy, SwiftKey and Swype, are now at the top of the top iOS paid and free charts in the U.S. and other countries.

Within 24 hours of their debut, paid keyboards Swype and Fleksy climbed to the top two spots in the U.S. paid iOS app chart, displacing popular games such as Minecraft Pocket Edition and Five Nights at Freddy’s. On the free app chart, Swiftkey jumped to the number one spot, beating out the now freemium and very popular 1Password password manager and the newly launched Amazing Thief game. Perhaps most impressively, SwiftKey has even displaced longtime number one Facebook Messenger from its spot atop the rankings.

The new keyboards are of course benefiting from launch-day momentum of the iOS 8 debut, and it remains to be seen where they will settle in the charts following the initial surge of interest. Still, it is clear that many users are interested in at least trying out alternatives to Apple’s default keyboard, even with its new QuickType suggestions implemented in iOS 8.

These three keyboards and more are available to all iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners running iOS 8. SwiftKey [Direct Link] is available for free from the iOS App Store, while Fleksy [Direct Link] costs $1.99 and Swype [Direct Link] is 99 cents.

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Bono says he’s working with Apple on a new music format to fight piracy

Bono’s already inserted himself into everyone’s iPhones this week, but now he wants even more control over the way you enjoy music. The Irish singer says that he’s been working with Apple on a new audio format that’ll get people paying for music once again. In an interview with Time magazine, which won’t be published until September 29th, it’s said that the band has been working on a secret project that’s “so terribly exciting to music fans that it will tempt them again into buying music.” It’s all part of U2’s noble cause to see that songwriters and, especially, artists who can’t recoup lost earnings through live gigs – like U2 – are properly compensated for their labors. Of course, given Apple’s historic preference for secrecy, we can’t imagine it’ll be too pleased that Bono’s running his mouth off in public. Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time that a musician has blown one of Tim Cook’s future announcements.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Apple

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Source: Time

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These iOS 8 keyboards will free you from typing tyranny

iOS 8 is finally live for public consumption, which means it’s time for all those third-party keyboards to make their App Store debut. Yep, at long last, devotees of Apple’s mobile platform can swap out that boring ol’ default keyboard for something different — a neat trick Android users have enjoyed for some time now. Still, it’s better late than never, and already there are a slew of alternative keyboards for iOS 8 clamoring for your attention. Here’s just a few we think are worth checking out.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple

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Apple Working with U2 on New Music Format to Boost Digital Music Sales

Apple and U2 have a long history of working together, producing a special edition U2 iPod in 2008 and more recently releasing the band’s latest album, “Songs of Innocence,” for free. According to Time, Apple and U2 now are collaborating on a new music format that will boost digital music sales.

Details on the music format or the secret project surrounding it were not revealed, but U2’s Bono says it will help musicians sell their music.

Bono tells TIME he hopes that a new digital music format in the works will prove so irresistibly exciting to music fans that it will tempt them again into buying music—whole albums as well as individual tracks. The point isn’t just to help U2 but less well known artists and others in the industry who can’t make money, as U2 does, from live performance. “Songwriters aren’t touring people,” says Bono. “Cole Porter wouldn’t have sold T-shirts. Cole Porter wasn’t coming to a stadium near you.”

Digital music sales are declining as consumer interest in online streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora grows. According to Nielsen SoundScan data from the first half of 2014, digital album sales fell 15 percent year over year, while digital track sales fell 13 percent. At the same time, streaming music increased 42 percent.

In the U.S., iTunes currently is the market leader for digital music downloads, but Apple is not blind to the steady decline in digital music sales. The company launched the Pandora-like iTunes Radio along with iOS 7 and recently purchased Beats Music for $3 billion.

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Apple Receives One Out of Two Licenses Needed to Begin iPhone 6 Sales in China [iOS Blog]

Apple has received one out of the two regulatory licenses it needs to sell the iPhone 6 in China, reports state-run news agency Xinhua (via Reuters). The handset is currently being reviewed by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which also examined the the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c before its launch in China last year. According to the news agency, Apple now needs a critical network access license before it can begin selling the device.

The news follows a report yesterday which stated that the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in China may be pushed back to 2015 due to the need for regulatory licenses. Currently, it is unclear as to whether Apple will secure the licenses in time for a late 2014 launch, although talks are said to be ongoing. A delayed launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in China would hinder Apple’s presence in the country, which has been expanding rapidly throughout the past few years.

Apple began iPhone sales on China Mobile last year, which is the country’s biggest wireless service provider and the last major carrier in the region to partner with the company. Apple CEO Tim Cook stated in January that he was “incredibly optimistic” about partnering with the carrier, stating that it would allow the company to sell the iPhone in 3,000 more locations and advertise to its over 760 million customers.

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Long Lines Forming for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Launch in Australia

With Apple’s new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus going on sale in the first group of launch countries beginning on Friday, September 19, long lines have already started to form across the world as many anticipate the release of both devices. Apple retail customers in Australia will have the first opportunity to purchase the new handsets at 8 AM on Friday, as some have already begun lining up outside of the company’s various retail locations. Currently, it is 7:10 PM on Thursday, September 18 throughout many parts of Australia.

Image credit: @beth_blanchard
One photo taken by Guardian Australia writer Bethanie Blanchard shows many customers lining up outside the Apple Store Doncaster, as the line is said to have started at 6 AM and stretches around the entire length of the shopping center.

Image credit: @rodgerrodger
Meanwhile, a photo shared by Twitter user @rodgerodger shows the line surrounding an Apple Store in Brisbane. The image shows numerous customers setting up chairs and laying down supplies in preparation to stay the night ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in the morning.

In addition to Australia, Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK starting Friday, with Apple Retail Stores beginning sales at 8 AM. The company is also implementing a reservation pass system at its retail stores for those who line up, which will keep track of the line position of each customer and ensure that those waiting receive a device.

The first batch of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus pre-orders will also be delivered starting this Friday, as some devices have already begun shipping to customers. Shipping estimates for new iPhone 6 pre-orders remain at 7 to 10 days, while estimates for iPhone 6 Plus pre-orders are at 3 to 4 weeks. Apple announced this past Monday that it processed more than four million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus pre-orders during the first day of its pre-launch sales on September 12.

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