Detecting iPhones and iPad Models with WURFL.js
ScientiaMobile’s engineering team has created a new methodology to return accurate Apple device model information in its WURFL.js Basic, Standard, and Pro plans. With the release of iOS 12.2 (and subsequent versions), Apple devices have stopped returning information used by many detection systems to determine the device model. However, commercial versions of ScientiaMobile’s WURFL.js continues to return accurate information.
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Select from the WURFL.js Basic, Standard, and Pro plans.
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Top iPhones Running iOS 12.2 or Higher
As reported in our MOVR 2019 Q1, ScientiaMobile is still able to distinguish between iPhone and iPad models. The chart below shows the most popular iPhones based on their percentage of all smartphone traffic.
As of April 30, 2019, Apple iPhone 7 was the most popular iPhone model across all iOS versions and specifically those running iOS 12.2+. Apple iPhone 8 Plus and Apple iPhone 7 Plus are the next most popular models.
What Changed in iOS 12.2?
Effective in iOS 12.2, Apple removed certain device features that JavaScript was able to query programmatically. For example, Apple has hidden the GPU information from certain JavaScript parameters and now only returns a generic token.
With the new detection methodology, WURFL.js Basic, Standard, and Pro plans will accurately identify distinct models of iPhones in almost all cases, including newer models like Apple iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.
How To Use iPhone and iPad Model Information
WURFL.js is an enterprise-grade cloud-based detection system (not a JavaScript hack). By inserting a simple JavaScript snippet, it will return a JavaScript object containing device model capabilities. This device model information is easily integrated with popular web analytics platforms like Google Analytics.
The commercial plans of WURFL.js Basic, Standard, and Pro provide full iPhone and iPad model detection, and 24 device capabilities. The free WURFL.js Lite provides only a generic description of the iPhone and 3 device capabilities.
