Survey: 45% of iPod touch users running old firmware

Chitika Research, a company that helps deliver online advertising, has released numbers from its network that claim 45% of iPod touch users still haven't upgraded to the iPhone 3.x firmware. Only 55% of the users measured have paid the cash to upgrade to the latest version (because of accounting regulations around subscriptions, iPod touch users have to pay for an upgrade that iPhone users get for free). And actually, the story is even worse than you think: Chitika points out that since mid-June, every single iPod touch sold has had 3.x pre-installed on it anyway. That means the percentage of users who owned iPod touches before June but haven't yet upgraded is even higher than the overall numbers show.

So how can Apple fix this (and they probably should -- lots of their best and brightest apps require 3.0, not to mention developers have spent a good amount of time upgrading them for the new firmware)? First, and maybe even only step, is to get rid of that fee, and Apple is already working on that one. Of course, education might be another issue -- it's possible that iPod touch users just don't know that there's an upgrade waiting for them. But I have an inkling that the fee is the real issue here. People may scoff at a $10 app, and I'm sure that they're doing exactly that for an upgrade to the firmware.

[via CultofMac]

View Tags

Source: http://chitika.com/research/2009/iphone-os-not-worth-10/

Categories

OS Software iTunes Software Update iPod touch

Chitika Research, a company that helps deliver online advertising, has released numbers from its network that claim 45% of iPod touch...

Add a Comment

Sign in »

26 Comments

Filter by:

nikotttin

My iPod touch bought in July, after the release of OS 3.0, in the infamous 59th street Apple store still had OS 2.x installed. There was no way to get Apple to upgrade the software... and I felt like being sold an outdated device.
I have upgraded since then...

December 23 2009 at 7:35 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

NavStar

Maybe iPod Touch users aren't as tech savvy as iPhone users? It's just an appliance that works just fine as iPod and occasional game device.

December 22 2009 at 2:23 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Bob S.

No interest in 3.x here either. It doesn't add any features I find useful.

December 22 2009 at 12:43 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

dOgBOi

We have 2 iPod Touches in the house under the same account, so we only have to pay the fee 1 time and we can install the update on both iPods. That being said, it is kind of ridiculous to have to pay for a software upgrade. I understand it has to do with Apple's subscription accounting, but it is still ridiculous. I don't know of anything else that requires you to pay for a firmware upgrade.

December 22 2009 at 11:34 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

episodev

I bought an iPod touch in September that wasn't upgraded to 3.0. I felt bad because it was a gift for my sister, I ended up buying her the upgrade also.

So just because they started shipping in June with 3.x installed doesn't mean all of them out there have 3.x

December 22 2009 at 8:47 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to episodev's comment

Jesse David Hollington

Actually, they didn't actually start shipping with 3.0 in June. Only the iPhone 3GS (and 8GB iPhone 3G) came with 3.x pre-installed.

The only iPod touch models that come with the 3.x update pre-installed are the *third-generation* models released in September and the "re-released" second-generation 8GB model that Apple is still selling new.

Even refurbished second-generation models that Apple is selling today still only include v2.2.

December 22 2009 at 9:33 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Jesse David Hollington

Chitika points out that since mid-June, every single iPod touch sold has had 3.x pre-installed on it anyway.

Actually, that statement from Chitka is incorrect. The iPod touch did not include OS 3.0 until after the third-generation models were released at the beginning of September. The old second-generation iPod touch units were still being sold with v2.2 until that point -- and in fact refurbished second-generation units that are still being sold by Apple also only include v2.2 and require the buyers to pay for the v3.1 upgrade.

December 22 2009 at 8:41 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Kevin Crossman

For what it's worth, I got an iPod Touch in August and it did not have 3.0 on it. I believe 2G Touches weren't upgraded to 3.0 (or, the ones in the channel certainly weren't).

December 22 2009 at 2:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Daj S

Somehow after updating my iphone I got the ipod touch firmware update free when I connected it to my mac. Seemed like an error ah well.

December 22 2009 at 1:09 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Ashley Jones

I upgraded my 2nd gen to 3.0 and have not had any problems. I think it's worth the five dollars(I had to pay ten dollars lol)

December 22 2009 at 12:55 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Rob W

There are some problems with 3.x that are not present with 2.x, and if I could then I would go back to 2.2.

I have had numerous issues with my 2nd generation iPod touch (which had 3.1 installed) and have had several replacements (four at last count), which initially had 2.2 installed.

I loved my replacements as I could experience 2.2 firmware again - smooth scrolling in Music app, no waiting for the music library to be updated after syncing, etc. However, after experiencing another problem my friendly Apple tech installed 3.1 for me and so I am now experiencing these issues every day. I wish that I could go back to 2.2, but after my problems I am just happy to have a working iPod Touch.

P.S. do not tell me that a restore will fix these issues - it doesn't and I have restored at least half a dozen times!

December 21 2009 at 10:26 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply