NHS Contact Tracing App

[ReadyDale]

I can’t download it, - my phone is too old!

There must be a lot of us in the same boat😨

Romilly.

Also affects Android phones (mine can't download it). Looking at the most recent OS percentage figures I could find, the "vast majority" they say can download it seems wishful thinking.
Yes, some will if you upgrade the OS, but most of us won't do that just for this. We'll wait until we next change our phone, which in the current climate may be some time.

[Crumblie]

I downloaded Ios14 last week and it came with an app called exposure notifications which you can activate but only works if your local health services use it. I will not be downloading the new app because I ensure I am never in a situation where I am up close and personal with anyone.

[rosie17]

I can’t download it, - my phone is too old!

There must be a lot of us in the same boat😨

Romilly.

Mine is an old Nokia ..don't use it that often but suits me

Rosie

[Top-of-the-hill]

  I suppose the contact tracing is more relevant to younger people who nearly all have modern phones. It won't work for me either - I have a nice little phone inherited from my son in 2014! Unfortunately it looks as if it is reaching the end of its life.

[Marmaduke 123]

I can’t download it, - my phone is too old!

There must be a lot of us in the same boat😨

Romilly.

Also affects Android phones (mine can't download it). Looking at the most recent OS percentage figures I could find, the "vast majority" they say can download it seems wishful thinking.
Yes, some will if you upgrade the OS, but most of us won't do that just for this. We'll wait until we next change our phone, which in the current climate may be some time.

My Android phone is almost 4 years old,  running on Android 9 now. I've got the app, no problem, as has my husband with a phone about the same age. I won't get another system update on this phone now, but surely most people install system updates when they are available? Or are there a lot of people who don't  bother updating?

[cuffie81]

Some rough calculations based on some rough stats...

According to stats I can find 79% of UK adults (18+) own a smartphone. Ownership is higher in younger generations (16-24: 100%) than older generations (65+: 40%) but ownership is quite widespread.

The NHS app is dependent on Covid-19 Exposure Notifications functionality that Apple and Google have added to iPhones (iOS 13.5+) and Android phones (Android 6+).

The iPhone and Android market shares are roughly 46% and 53%, respectively.

Looking at stats for those OS versions, iOS 13.5+ usage appears to be over 80% and Android 6 also over 80%. On Android it's probably slightly messier as Google have included the Covid-19 Exposure Notifications functionality in their services update rather than an OS update, which they (largely) don't control for non-Google phones. But it's probably reasonable to assume the functionality has been pushed out to most Android 6+ users by now.

That would mean that the majority of UK smartphone users would be able to use the NHS app, which would mean it's available to the majority of UK adults.


Finder UK:
Mobile internet statistics
https://www.finder.com/uk/mobile-internet-statistics#tab6066


StatCounter Global Stats:
Mobile iOS Version Market Share United Kingdom
https://gs.statcounter.com/ios-version-market-share/mobile/united-kingdom/#monthly-201908-202008

Mobile & Tablet Android Version Market Share United Kingdom
https://gs.statcounter.com/os-version-market-share/android/mobile-tablet/united-kingdom#monthly-201908-202008

Mobile Operating System Market Share United Kingdom
https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/united-kingdom/#monthly-201908-202008

[josey]

A good summary cuffie81, thanks for that.

Does the functionality of the app rely on the phones having bluetooth switched on all the time? I only switch it on when I want to transfer data & I worry about my phone linking with or being 'visible' to other phones or devices when I don't want it to.

[cuffie81]

The apps use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) so it will use more battery life. However, BLE is, as the name suggests, designed to have lower power consumption than "classic" Bluetooth.

As this app, and the background functionality, will be running constantly it's probably hard to guess how much battery life it'll use. People may just have to suck-it-and-see.


As way of comparison though, I have used apps that use BLE constantly for hours at a time and those apps haven't used too much battery life. So the NHS may not be too bad.

[ReadyDale]

So based on those numbers (79% of the adult population have a smart phone of which 80% have a suitable OS. Therefore c.63% of the adult population CAN use the app - a majority, but hardly the "vast majority" the government claim.
In addition, there are those who will be anti it for ideological reasons, and those with inertia.