Survey Reveals Application Usage and Demographic Data on iPhone and iPod Touch Users

[MacRumors]

Mobile advertising firm AdMob today released its January 2010 Mobile Metrics Report, revealing some interesting data about application usage and demographics for iPhone and iPod touch users, as well as users of Android and webOS handsets.

Among the more interesting statistics collected in the opt-in survey of nearly 1,000 respondents were results showing that 50% of iPhone users download at least one paid application per month, compared to only 35% of iPod touch users. Only 20-25% of Android and webOS users similarly download at least one paid app per month. But while iPhone users are more likely iPod touch users to download paid apps, iPod touch users download more apps in total. According to the survey, iPod touch users download an average of just over 12 applications per month with 1.6 of them being paid, while iPhone users download only 8.8 applications per month with 1.8 of them being paid. iPod touch users also spend 25% more time using applications on their devices than iPhone and Android users.

In looking at demographics of users, AdMob's survey found that iPhone, iPod touch, and webOS user bases are all in the range of 54-58% male, while Android skews much more strongly to 73% male. iPod touch users are also typically much younger than the smartphone users, with 78% of iPod touch users being below the age of 25 while only 24-25% of iPhone, Android, and webOS users are similarly below age 25. The data corresponds with previous comments made by mobile analytics firm Flurry regarding Apple's positioning of the iPod touch as building a base of future iPhone customers.

AdMob's survey also asked users about their plans for purchasing Apple's iPad tablet device and found that 16% of iPhone users are planning to purchase an iPad in the next six months while only 11% of webOS and 6% of Android users are planning similar purchases. This compares with only 6% of iPhone users, 5% of Android users, and 2% of webOS users who are planning to purchase a Kindle in the same timeframe.

Finally, the survey questioned users about their willingness to recommend their devices to others, and the iPhone (91%) and iPod touch (88%) topped the list. 84% of Android users are likely to recommend their device, while webOS brought up the rear with only 69% of users willing to recommend their device and 3.4 times more likely than iPhone OS users to specifically not recommend their device.

Article Link: Survey Reveals Application Usage and Demographic Data on iPhone and iPod Touch Users

 

[jo0]

free apps are a huge part of the market, but how do devs make money soley on advertising? I am a dev but dont run ads on anything that i have released. i guess if you have enough ppl with the app it works out, but otherwise you're out of luck and paying the dev fee to contribute to the masses.

with early versions of shazam it was completely ad supported, but since the ad supported version has been severely limited in place of a $4.99 price tag for all the features. one reason for this could be that the resources the app needs weren't being compensated for by the ads alone. thoughts?

 

[Luveno]

One thing that might be worth mentioning is that in some markets, the android market only provides free apps. I'm in Canada, and would gladly pay for android apps, but I don't have that option.

 

[Neotyguy40]

Personally, I don't like apps with ads... I like to buy the full version to actually get rid of the ads.

 

[Makindosh]

Free apps

free apps are a huge part of the market, but how do devs make money soley on advertising? I am a dev but dont run ads on anything that i have released. i guess if you have enough ppl with the app it works out, but otherwise you're out of luck and paying the dev fee to contribute to the masses.

I am sorry, but I never buy apps. I always try to use free apps, always. It saves tons of money. If free apps I use become not free, I just get rid of them and find free ones. I am sure most people do that too. It sucks for the developer, but unfortunately that's how it works, even today when people are more careful about their money. Apps with ads are a bit annoying, but I deal with it, and I never click ads. If I were a bit more wealthier, I would buy apps and support the developers, but man, I can't right now.

 

[JakeTheMac]

Funny how the iPod Touch is has the least No I wouldn't recommend to a Friend Or Colleague. I wonder how you really could hate the iPhone, I have no problem's with mine. I really don't know of anymore feature's I would like but that's a different subject.

Although I disagree with that chart because I download in excess of 100 or something a Month easy. Usually about 75 of them are free and the 25% are for the good game's.NBA Live, Madden all that.

 

[dwman]

Poor Palm. They waited waaaay too long to put out a new OS and devices and with Apple and Android already ahead, not kicking off their devices with a fully realized (ok, at least a partially realized) app store, they don't stand much of a chance. I'm not going to say that they're completely screwed, but it appears they're not going to be more then a niche player at best.

 

[anthonymoody]

I didn't do a deep dive here but I assume they did not control for the amount of time a given app store has been live?

I mention this because most iPhone/Touch users have had access to an app store for far longer than Pre and Android users. So at this point I would expect that app downloading for Apple products would've settled to a point below that of other, newer OS app stores. The fact that APple has more or less kept pace is thus that much more interesting IMO.

 

[mkrishnan]

I didn't do a deep dive here but I assume they did not control for the amount of time a given app store has been live?

I mention this because most iPhone/Touch users have had access to an app store for far longer than Pre and Android users. So at this point I would expect that app downloading for Apple products would've settled to a point below that of other, newer OS app stores. The fact that APple has more or less kept pace is thus that much more interesting IMO.

Maybe... but one could argue alternatively that the Android store is much smaller, and so the fact that Android users are downloading a fair number of apps is actually a big win for Google and Android. You won't see me rushing out to get one, but really, this is the first time I can recall seeing much in the way of data that anyone was getting people to use their app store at quite the voracious level Apple has.

 

[benspratling]

data source skews data?

I'm not going to question their stats, and correct me if I'm wrong, but admob sells ads to low-priced apps to increase revenue. That skews the results to free apps, right? People buying more free apps would probably have cheaper devices, so they get more on iPod Touch than iPhone. It seems like this is more of a comment on who uses ad mob than who uses smart phones.

I'm not saying that free apps don't download frequently, just saying that the paid apps percentage would be higher if the data included all apps. right?

 

[nagromme]

I am sorry, but I never buy apps. I always try to use free apps, always. It saves tons of money. If free apps I use become not free, I just get rid of them and find free ones. I am sure most people do that too. It sucks for the developer, but unfortunately that's how it works, even today when people are more careful about their money. Apps with ads are a bit annoying, but I deal with it, and I never click ads. If I were a bit more wealthier, I would buy apps and support the developers, but man, I can't right now.

You can only do what you can afford But it’s not saving a TON of money: apps are only a few bucks, and free alternatives are often nowhere near as good (but yes, sometimes they are).

But the main thing I wanted to suggest: when you get a free app and then it becomes paid, don’t throw it out—it’s still free for you, with all future updates!

 

[jo0]

But the main thing I wanted to suggest: when you get a free app and then it becomes paid, don’t throw it out—it’s still free for you, with all future updates!

good point. my fav example was with shazam when they made the paid version and the limited free version. i still have no cap on how many songs i can get info on

 

[kas23]

But the main thing I wanted to suggest: when you get a free app and then it becomes paid, don’t throw it out—it’s still free for you, with all future updates!

there's really no way to "throw out" an app. Even if u erase it from your desktop iTunes, u can still download it for free in the future.

 

[GoodWrites]

Advertising Targeting

Interesting to see this data. I would expect to see further refinement in the mobile advertising directed at expected audience based upon the device. For example, if the device is an iPod, I would expect the advertising to focus on youth. Vice versa. If the device is an iPhone is the device, I would expect the targeted ads to focus on a bit older client.

However, the concern in this is that the advertising for iPhone or iPod Touch will become mistargeted. My wife and I both have iPhones. Although advertising can be irritating, it is a part of life.

Most interesting is the number of people who will not recommend their Android or webOS devices. That number in combination with the seemingly higher proportion of business oriented individuals would imply that Android and webOS better spend some money and time catering to that demographic before it falls further behind Apple.

Of course, as an iPhone fan and future purchaser of the iPad, go Apple!!!

 

[QEII Student IT]

My friend just bought an iPhone last week and only downloads free apps. I can see the logic with this as quite often they are quite good, but I can't help thinking, when your bank statement arrives at the end of the month, are you really going to notice 59p?

 

[kresh]

I can understand AdMob's ability to garner information about the habits and uses of applications that use the AdMob advertising system, what puzzles me is how they are garnering the age and sex of the users.

This is disturbing.

Edit: Never mind I did not see that it was a survey and not data being mined from the devices, my apologies.

 

[OnePotato]

AdMob's survey?

AdMob's survey? Didn't they just get swallowed by Google? So shouldn't this be Google's survey?

 

[gusto5]

My friend just bought an iPhone last week and only downloads free apps. I can see the logic with this as quite often they are quite good, but I can't help thinking, when your bank statement arrives at the end of the month, are you really going to notice 59p?

It's this sort of mentality that will get some people. First it'll be the 99-cent landscape calendar app, then it'll be the 1.99 spiffier document app, then suddenly those 4.99 games like the game of life doesn't seem so bad either. From there all those 9.99 games are well...fair game

 

[Small White Car]

I've always wondered why Palm and the Android makers don't come out with their own versions of the iPod Touch...just sell their phones without the phone.

If dad has an iPhone, the kid's gonna want an iPod Touch. If dad has a Droid then the kid's gona want...uhm...an iPod Touch. These other companies are totally ignoring a huge market both in hardware and software sales.

These graphs only prove this point even more.

 

[Friscohoya]

Given that this is not a particularly scientific survey I dont know how much weight to place in it. Perhaps all the really heavy users were playing with their apps rather than taking an opt in survey. Anyhow, I bet that most people do a bunch of downloading upon purchase and then it slows over time. I would download more if it were easier to find useful apps without having to dig through the clutter. The app store feels slightly better than a kids toy chest.

Websites that do best of, top 10, etc. such as this one are quite helpful and thats usually how I find new stuff.

 

[Mal]

It's this sort of mentality that will get some people. First it'll be the 99-cent landscape calendar app, then it'll be the 1.99 spiffier document app, then suddenly those 4.99 games like the game of life doesn't seem so bad either. From there all those 9.99 games are well...fair game

That's why I rarely pay for apps, though I have bought a few. Early on, I tried to justify buying a few .99 apps, and the 1.99 seemed like an easy sell from there. I bought both Super Monkey Ball and Crash Bandicoot while they were 9.99, and decided after that to make sure I didn't buy any paid apps until at least three days after I originally decided I thought I'd like it. I haven't paid for more than 2-3 apps since, all less than $3. I might be willing to pay for more apps, but I'd have to plan to use them regularly for a beneficial purpose. There's enough good free games I probably won't bother paying for many, if any.

jW

 

[Jayomat]

there's really no way to "throw out" an app. Even if u erase it from your desktop iTunes, u can still download it for free in the future.

the problem is if you forgot which apps you bought, you won't find them again

 

[QCassidy352]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)

free apps are a huge part of the market, but how do devs make money soley on advertising? I am a dev but dont run ads on anything that i have released. i guess if you have enough ppl with the app it works out, but otherwise you're out of luck and paying the dev fee to contribute to the masses.

I am sorry, but I never buy apps. I always try to use free apps, always. It saves tons of money. If free apps I use become not free, I just get rid of them and find free ones. I am sure most people do that too. It sucks for the developer, but unfortunately that's how it works, even today when people are more careful about their money. Apps with ads are a bit annoying, but I deal with it, and I never click ads. If I were a bit more wealthier, I would buy apps and support the developers, but man, I can't right now.

I'm just the opposite. I find that the free apps are generally crap except when they're from major organizations (like NYT, espn, dictionary.com, etc). I'd much rather pay a couple of bucks (and literally, that's all it is) for something with no ads and no restrictions.

 

[Friscohoya]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)



I'm just the opposite. I find that the free apps are generally crap except when they're from major organizations (like NYT, espn, dictionary.com, etc). I'd much rather pay a couple of bucks (and literally, that's all it is) for something with no ads and no restrictions.

To each his own.

 

[JGowan]

I am sorry, but I never buy apps. I always try to use free apps, always. It saves tons of money. If free apps I use become not free, I just get rid of them and find free ones. I am sure most people do that too. It sucks for the developer, but unfortunately that's how it works, even today when people are more careful about their money. Apps with ads are a bit annoying, but I deal with it, and I never click ads. If I were a bit more wealthier, I would buy apps and support the developers, but man, I can't right now.

Well... you might not have extra money for developers but you're honest. You could jailbreak your iPhone and simply steal apps. But you simply use the App Ecosystem. That's the price the developers pay when they offer a free version of their app AND a paid version. Many simply will use the free one. Especially if the only difference is an Ad strip across the top or bottom. Best of luck with your finances!