Adoption of Apple’s latest iOS software, iOS 8, has been far slower than adoption of last year’s iOS 7 update. Some tech bloggers jumped to conclusions and suggested that the slowed adoption was due to the lack of compelling new features in iOS 8, but of course that’s simply not the case at all. For one thing, people were quicker to install iOS 7 because it featured an exciting new user interface overhaul that completely changed the look of iOS. But the main reason for slower iOS 8 adoption is the simple fact that millions of iPhone users are simply not able to install the update because of the amount free storage required to install the new software over the air.
Of course, that’s not stopping Apple from asking iPhone and iPad users once again to update to iOS 8.
DON’T MISS: Droid Turbo review: Motorola had to leave Google to become the king of Android
As noted by MacRumors, Apple has begun sending emails to iPhone and iPad users still on iOS 7 or earlier versions. The emails once again ask users to update their devices to iOS 8, and they highlight some of the new features in iOS 8 and iOS 8.1 such as the new Health app, iCloud Drive, Family Sharing and QuickType.
Of course, Apple is once again completely ignoring the fact that many people who haven’t updated their devices simply cannot.
iOS 8 requires several gigabytes of free storage to download and install over the air, and many users simply do not have enough available storage to perform the update. BGR has spoken with or received emails from hundreds of iPhone and iPad users who cite the lack of available storage as the reason they cannot update. Many people have even tried deleting unwanted photos and other files from their devices, but they are not always able to free up enough storage for the update.
Of course, people can use iTunes to download and install Apple’s iOS updates, but this is 2014 — many people with iPhones and iPads have never connected them to PCs, and they don’t plan to.
It’s a tricky situation, of course, and it brings to mind a poll that we ran just yesterday: Is the 16GB iPhone 6 useless?
