So is Apple deliberately promoting false stats on the iOS 9 adoption rate? That’s a claim being suggested by some as the result of the fact that the figures at the App Store, showing 52% as of September 19th, aren’t being matched by third party web metrics surveys. One article quoted, for example, Mixpanel Trends as reporting something in the mid-20s, but when I checked before writing the article, it was closer to 43%.

But that’s still 9% below Apple’s numbers? So what’s going on here?

Well, Apple is measuring accesses to the App Store by activated iOS gear. If an iPhone or an iPad isn’t accessing the Apple store to download a new app or update an existing one, it won’t be counted. I would expect that older gear might not be counted as accurately because there are no system updates, and fewer apps are updated. But it’s not as if Apple is going to be specific about all the factors governing these numbers, or how they are weighted. So let’s leave it at that.

Dedicated metrics companies will probably measure which browser and OS is used when accessing a site used in their survey, and then, using whatever weight factors they’ve devised, will draw conclusions about how many are using a given operating system.

Obviously such surveys are not perfect, so results will vary from one source to another. Apple’s numbers fell behind Mixpanel Trends for iOS 8 adoption. So is there a reason why the reverse is true with iOS 9? Well, at the outset, I would expect a greater number of upgrades if only because the process isn’t quite as annoying as iOS 8. There, if you didn’t have over four gigabytes of free space on your device, you were forced to switch to iTunes on your Mac or PC to have it done. You might even have to remove some apps, or just go without. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t explain the alternative when the OS first came out, so you’d expect lower numbers.

But with free space requirements of less than a third of its predecessor, it’s a lot easier to upgrade to iOS 9. That it supports the same hardware as the previous version, plus the brand new models, ought to make for a higher migration rate. I see no reason to suggest that Apple is fudging the numbers. But even the Mixpanel Trends figures are nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, Apple’s numbers aren’t strictly for bragging rights. They are designed to notify developers about the potential user base of a specific iOS version, That may influence whether or not older versions should be supported, and when it’s the right time to invest in building apps with the latest features.

So much for the upgrade pace.

Now as far as the user experiences are concerned, there have been the usual version-zero bugs. The most serious involved the inability to navigate through the setup assistant after upgrading. That problem required a full restore to fix, but on Wednesday Apple released a 9.0.1 update to address the issue. The other bug fixes are less serious.

Unfortunately Apple annoyingly provides sparse information about updates, but consider this phrase in the release notes, that the “update contains big fixes” that include four items. But is there anything else?

Well, there have been reports of frequent app crashing. After installing iOS 9, I encountered problems with two apps. The first, Washington Post “Classic,” was fixed simply by removing and reinstalling. The second involved an Internet benchmark app, Speedmark X, and reinstalling didn’t help. But updating to 9.0.1 did. I’m curious to see if others report similar results.

The MacRumors discussion boards contain a few reports of a curious number of app updates after running 9.0.1, as if updaters installed over the previous week had to be redone. In my case, I found seven, but I wouldn’t presume to guess there’s any connection. Maybe these were just newer versions of these apps, and it’s not that you can necessarily take a few posts as an indication of anything more than a handful of user experiences, unless a wider trend shows itself.

At least this update isn’t as treacherous as the infamous 8.0.1 in 2014, which bricked recent iPhones. Although Apple withdrew it within an hour or so, that didn’t stop the critics from pouncing on the company. Yes, the problem was annoying, but it could be fixed by restoring the affected device. Apple also released the fixed version, 8.0.1, the very next day, but the impression conveyed by the media was something far worse, of a far longer duration. Forgotten were all those very flawed Windows updates over the years, if you want to use a comparison.

In other developments, Apple has reportedly released a second 9.1 beta for developers, which contains more elaborate changes. A public beta will probably arrive soon, since Apple has been keeping the two release cycles fairly close. Whether the iOS releases will move right to 9.1, or there will be a 9.0.2 with more fixer-uppers, is anyone’s guess at this point.

There’s an unfortunate habit of the media, and even industry executives, to underestimate Apple. Do you remember when the iPhone came out, and how Steve Ballmer famously announced, “There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share”?

I’m serious!

Of course, when you look at the market share of the various Windows Phone products, you could almost apply that comment to them nowadays. Clearly Ballmer didn’t have a clue, or hoped and dreamed he might be right that the iPhone couldn’t possibly succeed. Indeed, Steve Jobs at first had very modest expectations, saying he’d be happy of global market share exceeded one percent at the end of 2008. It reached an estimated 1.9 percent.

In 2011, IDC predicted that Windows Phone would overtake the iPhone’s market share by 2015, and that Apple would take the number three slot just ahead of BlackBerry. I just hope that nobody paid IDC for that analysis, and if they did, they should ask for a refund. Both Windows Phone and BlackBerry are now vying for irrelevance, although Microsoft will soon to introduce new Nokia handsets that support the mobile version of Windows 10.

Funny how the facts often get in the way when people are denigrating Apple. And I won’t dwell on the fact that the iPhone has pretty much sucked the profits from the smartphone industry. Samsung gets some, most of the other handset makers barely break even or lose money.

So we know what Apple can do when it comes to smartphones.

When the iPad arrived, no less than Bill Gates told us how it was a bad idea. This coming from someone who touted tablets, only to find them reduced to a few vertical markets. That concept of giving traditional note-books touchscreen displays is still in full force in the PC universe, although still not quite successful.

But with rumors arising over the possibility that there may be an Apple Car come 2019, you can bet that auto industry executives — or former executives — are busy telling us that our favorite fruit company hasn’t a clue. They are in the wrong business, and might as well bail before wasting too much money.

On the other hand, Apple has over $200 billion in cash lying around, so a lot of cash has to be burned on a project before it becomes too much.

Understand that there is no official confirmation that Apple is working on a car, or that if they are, that it will ever go into production. Yes, I know about the rumors, but Apple routinely works on new product concepts, and only a few make it to the production line. Consider the rumors over an Apple smart TV set that have more or less become stillborn over claims that the project was abandoned. Or maybe it never existed in the first place.

Now one of the most outspoken former auto executives is Bob Lutz, a former General Motors vice chairman who headed up global product development among other divisions. So one expects he knows a lot about designing and building a motor vehicle, which is why what he says might be taken seriously, although he did most of his work at GM before the bankruptcy and restructuring. But he probably knows nothing about Apple’s intentions beyond what’s been reported in the press.

That did not stop him from stating, in a recent CNBC interview, that Apple’s auto project is “a gigantic money pit.” His argument, echoing what was said about the iPhone in 2007, is that Apple has no experience in making cars, so how could they “suddenly do a better job than General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota, or Hyundai?”

Now maybe he should have second thoughts about VW, since that company is facing serious troubles because they pulled a dirty trick to enable vehicles with diesel engines to pass emissions requirements. The scheme involved installing software that would turn on emission controls strictly to pass government tests, but otherwise disable it, meaning that these cars would spew up to 40 times more junk in the atmosphere under normal use.

So if we’re talking about expertise, VW has a problem, unless it’s about expertise on how to fool people.

In any case, Apple has the resources to confound the critics. Indeed, they don’t even have to build a car all by themselves. They could make a deal to use another auto maker’s unused production capacity, or partner with one to build a new factory.

The other question is making profits. The average gross margin in the auto industry for 2015 is 17.98% so far. Apple’s gross margin for the June 2015 quarter was 39.68%. The average new car price in the U.S. hit $33,560 this year, so there are clearly lots of profits to be made even if the marginss are far lower. That assumes Apple can actually do this profitably. Remember that Elon Musk’s Tesla, though perceived as a successful maker of electric cars, is not quite profitable yet. In the second quarter of this year, they posted a loss of $184 million. Then again, Amazon is seldom profitable yet is still a Wall Street darling. It’s a crazy world out there.

So what’s the takeaway from all this?

Well, there is obviously no Apple Car. If it should arrive, we can consider its potential. For now, anyone who has studied Apple will realize that they can’t be counted out just because they are entering a new market. If there is to be a motor vehicle in Apple’s future, it will be built and marketed in a way that will give it a solid chance for success regardless of what the critics say.

So Apple announced Monday a surprising record, that over 50% of activated iPhones are already running iOS 9. It was surprising because third-party web metrics were showing a much lower figure. Mixpanel Trends, for example, which often reports a higher number than Apple, was displaying just under 37% as of the time I wrote this article.

Indeed, there were predictions, ahead of iOS 9’s release, that fewer people would upgrade if only because there weren’t any major changes. That’s a matter of perception, and certainly the most visible change is the use of a new system font, San Francisco, which happens to make smaller text more readable. Well, at least to my tired eyes.

But there is one key reason that the adoption rate has soared, and that is evidently due to the fact that Apple eased the over-the-air download process for those with space-challenged gear. Space requirements are less than a third of what was required for iOS 8. The latter forced you to use iTunes on your Mac or PC. But that option wasn’t especially clear at the beginning, so the adoption rate languished way behind iOS 7 for quite a while. By the time iOS 9 came out, however, the adoption rate of its predecessor was only a few points behind the previous version.

I’ve already covered some of the early problems with iOS 9. In addition to freezes during the upgrade process, and reports of crashing apps, it appears that performance doesn’t strike most as any better than iOS 8. What that means depends on your expectations, but even if it’s no different, it doesn’t mean the upgrade isn’t worth it.

On Monday, Apple released the delayed WatchOS 2 upgrade. Its appearance was supposed to coincide with the release of iOS 9, but it was pulled at the last minute to fix an unmentioned bug. Clearly it was a show-stopper, and no doubt Apple has been working overtime to make sure there are as few glitches as possible with its new platform.

WatchOS 2’s improvements aren’t said to be major, although performance improves somewhat because apps can now run native on the device. You can also respond to emails via a canned message or via Siri, and you have to hope the virtual assistant will get your text right. That the Apple Watch is taking on more independent functions presages the day, possibly a year or two from now, when it will be liberated from your iPhone. But if that happens, it would no doubt require having a version with a built-in cellular radio. Don’t think that’s possible? Consider all the technology that’s packed into it now.

Predictably, tech pundits who dismissed the value of the Apple Watch haven’t changed their tune. The New York Times is typical. The newspaper of record concludes that, while it may deliver notices, fitness, and other information in a more convenient and digestible form than a smartphone, it’s not a must-have, at least not yet. Such statements generally don’t consider the fashion factor.

But the article did make one sage observation, which is that, when Apple releases brand new products, such as the iPhone and the iPad, it may take a while for its true potential to be realized. The iPhone has hit a peak now, and some suggest it can’t possibly get any more popular, although Apple keeps confounding the skeptics. The iPad remains a work in progress, and perhaps the iPad Pro will show the way towards greater productivity.

So obviously Apple Watch is a first generation product. The original reviews revealed a compelling if imperfect gadget. WatchOS 2 addresses performance and other issues, while fleshing out the feature set. That apps can directly tap additional hardware features is a good thing, and will make it all the more useful.

It may take a few years to gauge its potential, however. Again, I think freeing it of dependance on the iPhone might be the key factor. But it also depends on whether users perceive it as indispensable, and that’s not something I would be able to predict.

In my case, I continue to use a $12.88 Walmart stainless steel calendar watch. It runs well, the face doesn’t bear any visible scratches, and it keeps reasonably accurate time. Right now, it’s about seven seconds fast after several months of use. That’s close enough for me, and it’s noticeably better than my previous watch, an old Guess chronograph.

I’ve been using wristwatches since I was a preteen, and, after washing up and eating breakfast, the watch goes on my wrist and usually stays there till after dinner. That would, I suppose, make me an ideal candidate for an Apple Watch, and perhaps I’ll consider one some day when the features are fleshed out. That assumes that I’d be willing to pay the price of admission, but if it takes on the function of a mobile handset, no doubt you’ll be able to buy one using a wireless carrier’s financing plan — or one from Apple similar to the new iPhone plan.

And wouldn’t it be interesting to learn that the Apple Watch may end up being, in part, a precursor to the future of the smartphone?

The dust is settling, and it does appear iOS 9 may have more glitches than it seemed on the very first day. However, Apple is also reporting that over 50% of the user base has already upgraded. This despite the fact that some have encountered installation glitches that will require restoring your device. Otherwise the iOS 9 upgrade process is less troublesome than its predecessor, in large part because it requires less than a third of the storage space needed for iOS 8. That situation made it extremely difficult for storage-challenged iPhones and iPads to be upgraded last year.

But it’s not problem free. There are reports of crashing apps, which is being blamed on iOS 9. But it may just be that many of the offending apps merely need to be upgraded to support the new OS. I know I found over two dozen ready to upgrade as soon as iOS 9 was installed on my iPhone. Some of these updates were designed to support such new features as improved multitasking, mostly on the more recent iPads, but there were compatibility issues too.

As it stands, and I haven’t gone through each and every app’s features on my iPhone to confirm this observation, it appears just one suffers from a crashing problem. That’s Speedtest X, which is an Internet benchmarking utility. As soon as I start a test, it’s gone. All told, only one incompatible app isn’t so bad, and perhaps some of the other reports of crashing will be resolved with an upgrade that’s already available, or one that’s coming soon. I had a similar problem with the Washington Post’s “Classic” app, but removing and reinstalling took care of that problem.

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