.png){kind=icon}
Another year means we’ve got another fresh batch of iOS device statistics to dig into. With over 2.2 billion active Apple devices worldwide, testing and launching on iOS remains an essential part of the app development process.
If you’ve ever wondered which iOS devices or OS versions should be prioritized during testing, leveraging usage statistics is one of the best tools available. These provide a high level view of how iOS platform usage is spread across different types of devices and OS versions. This way, you can make an informed decision on your test coverage and not waste valuable time and resources testing on devices that your users don’t have access to.
But how did iOS usage change in 2024? And what does it mean for testing in 2025? Read on for the answers to these questions and more.
iOS Version Market Share
As of January 2025, mobile and tablet iOS version market share was primarily spread across three major iOS versions - iOS 16, 17, and 18 - with each peaking around a month before the next incremental or major release. iOS 18.1 currently has the greatest market share with 49.9% of users. This number is supported by news from Apple CEO Tim Cook that users are adopting iOS 18.1 at twice the rate of 17.1.
While 18.2.1 is the latest iOS version (as of this post writing) only 5.67% of users have made the upgrade. Based on the results for iOS 18.1, we can assume that most users will eventually upgrade to the newest version.
After that, the next highest market share value is iOS 17.6 with 10.95% of users followed by iOS versions 18.0, 17.5, and 16.7 with 4.31%, 3.5%, and 3.46% respectively.
What does this data tell us?
Test managers should plan to include at least the latest three major releases for iOS versions as part of their test coverage. While incremental releases are unlikely to significantly affect the results of testing, test managers should keep in mind which iOS incremental releases have the greatest market share when selecting each major release version to ensure accurate test coverage.
iOS Hardware Market Share
While we don’t have access to how the current iPhone device market share is distributed across all of the generations of active models, we can gain some insight into how that may change over the course of 2025 by looking at some of the top-selling iPhone models from the previous year.
In the third quarter of 2024, iPhone models made up 4 of the top 10 selling devices. In fact, the number one selling device of this period was none other than the iPhone 15 — followed closely by the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro at positions #2 and #3.
What does this data tell us?
iPhone is a top priority device to include in a test plan and, generally, when the newest models are released, consumers will increase their spending on one or two generations back because of price reductions or deep discounts. Couple this with existing units already actively in use and it becomes clear that testing should not be isolated to solely the newest iPhone models.
What’s New in iOS 18?
iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 were exciting new releases for iPhone and iPad users, especially those who love to customize and personalize their device. Here are some of the notable features and improvements that this new major release introduced.
Enhanced Customization Options
Users now have more control over all aspects of the home and lock screens of their device. Whether it’s changing the color, theme or layout of app icons and widgets, there are now so many more ways to make the iPhone or iPad experience uniquely your own.
Photos App Redesign
The Photos App on iOS and iPadOS received a fresh coat of paint; bringing a new, simplified layout and more options for organizing and finding the photos that matter most to them.
Introduction of Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence takes advantage of Apple’s custom hardware to perform a host of useful AI-powered tasks across a variety of first-party, and even third-party, apps on iOS. In iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, Apple introduced some of the first Apple Intelligence powered features; improving user experience with every day tasks like writing, creating videos, editing photos, recording audio, and so much more.
New Privacy Features
In iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, users now have more control over who can view their apps, sharing contacts, and how connected accessories interface with their device. Whether it’s locking or hiding apps, having more choice over which contacts can be shared with an application or the privacy experience when using accessories, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 is the most privacy conscious release yet.
iOS 18 Accessibility Features
In addition to the great features we spotlighted above, users who depend on assistive technology to be able to use their iOS device got a host of new accessibility features in iOS 18 that could be a game changer for some. Here are just a few examples of what was added.
VoiceOver Updates
The Live Recognition feature of VoiceOver got some helpful improvements to make it easier to access on the Rotor and give a user more control over which detection features are active simultaneously. Users now also have the ability to fully customize the voice used in their VoiceOver descriptions with controls like pitch, rate, volume, or select from available presets based on the style they are looking for.
Improved Braille Features
Since iOS 8, users have been able to directly input braille on an iPhone screen but in iOS 18, new BSI (Braille Screen Input) features have been introduced to improve the experience of accessing and inputting braille on iOS devices.
For example, users can now launch Braille Screen Input using a new gesture of double tapping the top and bottom ends of the screen with one finger each. Once activated, users can control VoiceOver using braille commands and have more options for input than they ever did before.
There’s also been improvements to the types of feedback that a user gets when typing. This helps a braille user better understand what they’re writing and improve their efficiency of braille input.
Other Helpful Improvements
Aside from the major accessibility enhancements in iOS 18, users of disabled technology can benefit from custom voice control vocabulary additions, being able to create their own phrases for Siri to launch applications and system functions, and other sound and haptic related improvements.
The Top Devices for iOS App Testing in 2025
Now that we know how the market share for iOS versions and iPhone models market share was distributed in 2024, we can start to make some recommendations on which devices should be supported for testing. Here are the top devices for iOS app testing in 2025:
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 11
Supporting Legacy iOS Devices
The original iPhone is nearly 20 years old, which means that there are a lot of generations of models that have been released since; many of which are still actively in use to this day. With each iOS version release, Apple supports at least 7 generations of legacy devices — as well as the latest iPhone models. This level of support means that devices stay relevant for longer periods of time and, as a result, users are less likely to upgrade to a newer version.
Compatibility testing is one of the easiest ways to validate that an iOS app will perform as expected across generations of iPhone devices. Although much of the identity of the iPhone has remained consistent, there are unique hardware features and device attributes in each generation that should be considered while testing. This could include devices’ screen size, battery life, camera, sensor capabilities, cellular connectivity, or any unique hardware features that must be compatible with an app experience for it to function properly.
Conclusion
With this data in mind, we hope that you feel more confident on which devices to prioritize for iOS app testing in 2025. Alongside iPhone, iPad devices remain more popular than ever for both personal and professional use so they should not be neglected as part of your device coverage. If you’d like to learn more about iOS testing stats from previous years, consider checking out our blogs from 2024, 2023 or 2022.
Apple Vision Pro has had a slow start on the market but Apple continues to improve the user experience through software updates, including vision OS 2, which was released late last year. In time, we expect interest in Vision Pro to increase which means that companies who want to get in on the ground floor of potentially the next technological revolution should consider developing spatial apps. At PLUS QA, we’ve supported testing on Vision Pro since day 1 and since then, have obtained a ton of experience working with the device and how to test using it. This makes an excellent choice as a testing partner for Apple Vision Pro.
When you’re ready to start testing on iOS, PLUS QA has got you covered. We have over 16 years of experience testing iOS apps and, through our Device Lab, can support testing on the latest iPhone and iPad devices all the way back to the first generation of models. Contact us today to learn more.