A while ago I talked about business models and how they impact security. The key thing then was that Apple had a direct path to the consumer, which drove update rates of iOS very quickly, in comparison to Android. Implicit in all of that was that consumers would find a reason to upgrade to the latest software.
Now we see a new version 6 of iOS that has what can only be described as a miserable replacement for Google Maps, as well as a number of reported problems with WiFi connectivity. All of a sudden, the tables are turned. Are the 200 new features found in iOS worth risking one’s ability to use WiFi or have accurate mapping information? Note that the question makes no reference to security. That’s because consumers don’t care about that.
So, here’s the thing to watch, and Google will be watching very closely: what is the adoption rate of iOS version 5 as compared to its predecessor? The converted have already moved over. Now it’s time for the rest of us. Will we or won’t we? I already have decided to wait for a “.0.1” version of iOS 6, as my iPhone works fine as is, and none of the new features really seem so interesting, such that I want to risk breaking WiFi or my maps. Note again, I’m not even mentioning security.