Big mo: In one week, Apple iCloud hits 20M users; 25M use iOS 5
It's not just the iPhone 4S: Apple's iOS 5 and iCloud are also catching on with consumers in a big way.
In addition to announcing stellar iPhone 4S sales, Apple also revealed today that iOS 5 and iCloud are off to a running start.
According to the company, 25 million people are already using iOS 5, even though this version of the mobile operating system launched just last week. In addition, Apple's iCloud, a cloud-based data service, has added 20 million users in less than a week.
Although the iOS 5 user numbers are impressive, Apple's success with iCloud is most notable, considering that it's an entirely new product. The service allows users to sync and store content in the cloud, as well as use a "Find My iPhone" feature to help users locate their handset, and if necessary, remotely wipe or lock the device. iCloud is available to those who own iOS-based devices, as well as Windows and Mac users.
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• Analyst: Apple's iCloud could see 150 million users
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Analysts have long expected iCloud to be a hit. In June, an RBC Capital Markets study found 76 percent of iPhone owners planned to use iCloud when the service launched. By extrapolating that figure, RBC said that it believes 150 million people could eventually sign up for iCloud.
iCloud's importance to Apple extends well beyond its user base. As RBC pointed out in a statement, iCloud could help Apple improve the "stickiness" of its products.
"Because it stores user data, iCloud, along with iTunes is expected to enhance loyalty and stickiness of Apple's customers, helping defend against threats from Android, helping grow a defensible install base of users who continually upgrade to next generation Macs, iPhones, iPads, and iPods," RBC said.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 4S could be the latest sales juggernaut for the company. Apple announced today that it sold 4 million iPhone 4S units over the weekend, easily besting the 1.7 million iPhone 4 units it sold during that device's first weekend of availability.