Jumptap, which specializes in targeted mobile advertising, has released its October MobileSTAT report which, among other findings, shows that Apple is the industry leader in getting its customers to embrace new platforms and features -- a conclusion that reveals something about the habits of Apple users, as well as the company’s approach to marketing and product.
October proved to be a release-heavy month with high profile launches of the iPhone 4S and iOS 5, the announcement of Android 4.0, and the release of Blackberry’s BBX operating system. However, the most interesting insights from the Mobile STAT report focused on the way in which device releases impacted OS adoption rates.
In less than three weeks since its official release, iOS 5 had already accounted for 32% of the total iOS traffic on the Jumptap network. In contrast, new Android releases were slower to catch on. More than six months after the launch of Android 2.3, the OS had an adoption rate of less than 50% of the overall Android market. The previous system, Android 2.2, kept its share of approximately 40% of the market.
October handset releases also impacted the Jumptap network. Both the highly anticipated iPhone 4S and rival handset Android Samsung Galaxy S2 showed steady increases and acquired market share against other devices.
The MobileSTAT showed that Samsung smartphone users access applications 27% more than iPhone users. On the flip side, iPhone users are twice as active on the mobile web as Samsung smartphone users. Gaming is the top content channel on Samsung smartphones, which is most likely tied to the higher app usage and suggests a younger audience. For iPhones, News and Entertainment is the top channel, which helps explain the prevalence of web browsing and suggests an older audience.
"While Android still holds the majority of the market share across the board, iPhone 4S and iOS 5 made significant strides in October," says Paran Johar, CMO, Jumptap. "From both the network impressions and the long lines outside Apple stores across the country, it’s clear that Apple fans tend to seek the latest technology at the fastest rates. Meanwhile, while more new users are turning to Android, they tend to hang on to their current operating system for longer periods of time."
Overall Android OS market share dipped 2.3 percentage points on the Jumptap network, and iOS share increased slightly by 1.6% over September. The MobileSTAT report attributes this slight shift to the latest wave of iPhones in the market.
To download a full copy of the Jumptap MobileSTAT report, visit jumptap.com/STAT.
