Chitika: iPhone 5 Passes Samsung Galaxy S III in Web Usage

[Zunjine]

Android users don't know enough to matter...good read

http://www.thestreet.mobi/story/11586384/1/android-users-dont-know-enough-to-matter.html

This is precisely the point.

A smartphone is a smartphone in name only if it isn't used as a smartphone. If Android users aren't surfing, aren't downloading and using apps, aren't connecting to wifi, using GPS, aren't using any of the smartphone stuff they can use then their phones really shouldn't be counted as smartphones...

I mean, it's a bit like saying that 80% of people own a gun by a certain brand but if there's no place to buy bullets that fit in that gun then, well, it's basically an expensive paperweight.

 

[Pock]

This has little/nothing to do with sales. This has to do with web traffic

If I'm not mistaken, no iPhone sales = no web traffic, lots of iPhone sales = likely lots of web traffic. Web traffic is a good indicator of general smartphone use.

So the chances are, as sales increase, so will the web traffic.

 

[jason2811]

Somehow people forget about the thousands of iPhone 5s that are connected to WiFi in Apple Stores around the country.

 

[bbplayer5]

Considering most people on android change their user agent to report as an iPad or desktop, these numbers are flawed.

 

[tbayrgs]

Not necessarily more out there but it's probably close to 20 million at this point. But iPhone users are, in large part, more technically savvy than Android users - they download more apps and surf the web more. They use wifi (there was this survey pointing out how a large number of Android phones have never been connected to a wifi network) and upgrade their OSs rapidly (100 million on iOS6 within, what, a week?).

Basically, a lot of Androids aren't being used often as smartphones. Even high end ones, apparently.

Technically savvy probably not the best choice of words, more likely iOS users may simply use more of the functionality--I'd believe that. While Android may offer more functionality and flexibility, I'd hazard a guess that the vast majority of consumers have no clue. I use both iOS and Android and apps are still generally better on iOS (skip the flaming..I said generally) and web browsing on iOS is a much smoother/polished experience, albeit a bit more limited than Android.

I'd also postulate that many former feature phone users are migrating to entry level Android devices, most likely because they're cheap/free, and don't have any intention of using (or need for that matter) the core phone functionality (making calls, texting).

 

[nick_elt]

Trust me, I've seen more non-tech enthusiast people on android than ios.

Exactly, "most" android phones are given away on cheap contracts to ppl that doesnt know/care half of the stuff it can do

 

[Zunjine]

I was being mostly sarcastic.

The fact is - all sorts of people own iPhones just like all sorts of people own Android phones. Sweeping generalizations don't work.

Indeed. That's why I didn't make sweeping generalisation. I was speaking in general, of course, and I made that pretty clear.

----------

Technically savvy probably not the best choice of words, more likely iOS users may simply use more of the functionality--I'd believe that. While Android may offer more functionality and flexibility, I'd hazard a guess that the vast majority of consumers have no clue. I use both iOS and Android and apps are still generally better on iOS (skip the flaming..I said generally) and web browsing on iOS is a much smoother/polished experience, albeit a bit more limited than Android.

I'd also postulate that many former feature phone users are migrating to entry level Android devices, most likely because they're cheap/free, and don't have any intention of using (or need for that matter) the core phone functionality (making calls, texting).

Yes, perhaps a better phrase would be 'more engaged'.

Technically savvy is used as a general catch-all and with good reason - if you know what tech can do for you you're far more likely to use it.

 

[Jibbajabba]

How many of those phones were used from within the Apple stores using demo models

 

[einmusiker]

Exactly, "most" android phones are given away on cheap contracts to ppl that doesnt know/care half of the stuff it can do

Yes and "most" iphones are given to spoiled brats whose parents just want to shut them up

 

[Zunjine]

Exactly, "most" android phones are given away on cheap contracts to ppl that doesnt know/care half of the stuff it can do

I would love to know what percentage of iOS and Android users respectively would self identify as "smartphone users".

I suspect that a larger percentage of Android users would not think of themselves as owning a smartphone. iOS users probably mostly know they own a smartphone.

It's a communication and education thing. Apple is very good at educating its users about what they can do with Apple products.

----------

How many of those phones were used from within the Apple stores using demo models

... 7. I checked.

 

[bungiefan89]

we are waiting for the 2012 imac

fixed!

 

[Zunjine]

Considering most people on android change their user agent to report as an iPad or desktop, these numbers are flawed.

I'd be willing to bet pretty big money that this statement is untrue. I'd say most Android users don't even know what a user agent is.

 

[samcraig]

Trust me, I've seen more non-tech enthusiast people on android than ios.

What possible reason would I have to trust you? Especially since your observation is a) skewed and b) narrow in scope

This is precisely the point.

A smartphone is a smartphone in name only if it isn't used as a smartphone. If Android users aren't surfing, aren't downloading and using apps, aren't connecting to wifi, using GPS, aren't using any of the smartphone stuff they can use then their phones really shouldn't be counted as smartphones...

I mean, it's a bit like saying that 80% of people own a gun by a certain brand but if there's no place to buy bullets that fit in that gun then, well, it's basically an expensive paperweight.

I know many of iPhone users that don't use them as smart phones. My dad, as only one (and yes, I realize this is only one) example has one and barely turns it on. But he does listen to music on it. And sometimes makes calls. hardly can count as smartphone usage.

 

[Zunjine]

What possible reason would I have to trust you? Especially since your observation is a) skewed and b) narrow in scope



I know many of iPhone users that don't use them as smart phones. My dad, as only one (and yes, I realize this is only one) example has one and barely turns it on. But he does listen to music on it. And sometimes makes calls. hardly can count as smartphone usage.

I never claimed that all iOS users use their devices to their limits.

I must say, I find you responses unnecessarily confrontational. Do you need to be so aggressive?

 

[iMacFarlane]

I kind of like how they managed to make the two pieces of pie blend together visually. Who said charts need to effectively convey information, anyway?

Agreed, that pie chart didn't do the trick for me either.

But THIS one . . .

 

[dashiel]

Maybe I'm reaching here. But doesn't this seem obvious. Those with S3's have had their devices for awhile and their usage has normalized. iPhone 5 users are "breaking in" their phones by surfing, downloading, etc all more than probably usual because they just got their phones.

I'm not trying to justify/skew the report. I just find it relatively meaningless.

I would guess a report in 3/6 months would be more meaningful.

Yeah I think you’re reaching. All our data for popular phones over the last 4 years shows a sharp initial adoption rate followed by varying degrees of growth in raw numbers for 12-18 months, but there’s never been a “spike” or any indication of usage of a “breaking in” period having any meaningful effect on usages statistics.

My data comes from a narrower market segment, but largely corroborate the data form Chitka. The past week shows all previous iPhones represent 46% of mobile usage, iPad represents 25%, iPhone5 is at 4%. The most popular Android device is 1.6%.

 

[TheHateMachine]

Well this thread semi delivered in terms of entertainment. While the ridiculous scale of some comments were pretty off the charts there is some reasonable talk in here and a lot less screaming fan boys.

Son I am sorta disappoint...

 

[bbplayer5]

I'd be willing to bet pretty big money that this statement is untrue. I'd say most Android users don't even know what a user agent is.

Considering it had flash for the longest time and most websites avoided that via mobile sites - forcing the user to go desktop? Yes, tons of them know it. No one on an iPhone changes to an android user agent.. there would be no reason to. On my GS3, i change it to an iPad so I get desktop pages, as well as HTML5 video.

 

[winston1236]

Not really sure how this is notable or an accomplishment.

 

[jamojamo]

Now that's a pie chart I'd like to get my hands on!

 

[dashiel]

Considering most people on android change their user agent to report as an iPad or desktop, these numbers are flawed.

Nope. The stock Android browser doesn’t have the ability to change UA string in the GUI, you have to type about:useragent in the URL bar. Guarantee none but the geekiest of geeks is doing that.

 

[bbplayer5]

Nope. The stock Android browser doesn’t have the ability to change UA string in the GUI, you have to type about:useragent in the URL bar. Guarantee none but the geekiest of geeks is doing that.

Good point, but there are still TONS of users that do this, and go out of their way to do so. Even 200,000 nationwide doing this is enough to screw a good amount of data. It makes sense to use an iPad user agent on an android phone, it makes no sense the other way around.

 

[Fishticks]

There was a time when they used to compare iPhone web usage to all other smartphones' web usage.

Now there is (are) clearly a (several) challenger(s). And i5 has been out for only a few weeks.

 

[samcraig]

I never claimed that all iOS users use their devices to their limits.

I must say, I find you responses unnecessarily confrontational. Do you need to be so aggressive?

I never claimed you did.

What's aggressive about presenting alternative data? And what makes my questioning "unnecessarily" confrontational.

 

[gatearray]

"The firm also found that 9 in 10 users hadn't experienced any significant problems with Apple's new mapping software"

So, let this be a lesson to Mr. Cook. Basing public apologies on the echo-chamber word of internet trolls who don't even own your products is a bad idea.

You probably should've have just kept your mouth shut, right???