87 percent of mobile users now on iOS 7

The Cupertino, Calif., company releases the latest stat as it gears up for the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

iOS 7 arrived on the iPhone 5S and 5C late last year.

If you're not using iOS 7 yet, you're in the extreme minority.

About 87 percent of Apple mobile users have downloaded the company's newest operating system for iPhones and iPads, the company said on its developer site Monday.

The figure is up from 83 percent a month ago, the time Apple introduced iOS 7.1. The update added new features such as CarPlay and fixed bugs. It also tweaked Apple's Siri voice assistant, iTunes Radio, and its Touch ID fingerprint sensor. The company streamlined the operating system to make it work better with the iPhone 4, made some user interface refinements, and included some stability and accessibility improvements.

The updated figures come as Apple gears up for its developer conference in early June. The Cupertino, Calif., electronics maker closed the lottery for Worldwide Developers Conference registration earlier Monday. The conference, which takes place in San Francisco's Moscone Center West from June 2 to 6, usually sells out within minutes. This year, in an effort to open up the process, the company has opted for a lottery system. Chosen developers will be notified by 5 p.m. on Monday. Tickets cost $1,599.

Apple is widely expected to reveal details about the new version of iOS -- likely called iOS 8 -- at its developer conference. The new software is expected to have a health-tracking bent, and iTunes Radio might be made into a standalone app in the new mobile OS. The update to iOS traditionally has been released along with new phones later in the year.

For Apple, it's key to get users to adopt its newest software. The company's software has been an important differentiator from other mobile devices. iOS 7, which launched in September, underwent a complete design overhaul, with everything from the typography and color schemes getting an update. iOS 7 also added useful features like automatic updates to make everyday use easier, AirDrop, and iTunes Radio, as well as a new control center that gives quick access to most-used features.

Source : cnet