iOS device failures overtake Android for the first time
In the ongoing smartphone performance and reliability battle, Apple has lost its leading position to Android for the first time in the second quarter of 2016.
Plagued by crashing apps, WiFi connectivity and other performance issues, the iOS failure rate more than doubled to 58 percent, compared to a 25 percent failure rate in the previous quarter, according to the research by mobile device diagnostics company Blancco Technology Group.
Of the iOS devices that failed, the iPhone 6 had the highest failure rate (29 percent), followed by iPhone 6S (23 percent) and iPhone 6S Plus (14 percent). The main issues encountered included crashing apps (65 percent), WiFi (11 percent) and headset (four percent). Some big names dominate the list of crashing apps too, with Snapchat on 17 percent, Instagram 14 percent and Facebook nine percent being the top three.
Android devices meanwhile had an overall failure rate of 35 percent -- a major improvement from the 44 percent failure rate in the previous quarter. Samsung tops the list of Android manufacturers with the highest rate of device failures at 26 percent followed by Lenovo and LeTV both on 17 percent. The top three crashing apps for Android are Google Play Services (12 percent), Google Contacts Sync (five percent), and Address Book (also five percent).
"Ever since the first iPhone was introduced in 2007, Apple's iOS has been a force to be reckoned with -- launching new models every year and raking in strong sales and revenue quarter after quarter," says Richard Stiennon, chief strategy officer at Blancco Technology Group. "But our data suggests that the performance battle between iOS, Android and other operating systems is constantly changing and is likely to be influenced by several factors. As industry experts, wireless carriers and consumers look ahead to the highly anticipated launch of the iPhone 7 in September, it will be interesting to see how the new model's features may, or may not, impact the phone's performance".
You can find out more in the full State of Mobile Device Performance and Health report which is available on the Blancco website.
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