Apple Is Still Crushing Android When It Comes To Getting The Latest Software To Users

Apple's newest version of its operating system for iPhones and iPads, iOS 7, is now running on 74% of all devices, according to the company's own metrics.

iOS 7 launched in September along with the new iPhone 5S. It's available as a free download and features a brand new design.

So why is this important? It's good news for developers who want to make sure their apps are running well on iPhones and iPads. With the vast majority of devices running iOS 7, developers can concentrate more on only making sure their apps are compatible with the latest version.

It's also worth comparing that install base to Android. Google's latest version of Android, called KitKat, came out last month, but it's only running on 1.1% of all Android devices. That's one of the biggest drawbacks to Android phones. Since most manufacturers like Samsung heavily modify the software, it takes them longer to get updates to users whenever Google releases a new version.

Here are two charts showing the iOS version install bases and Android version install bases.

iOS

Android