A U.S. study of Apple iOS users, based on data from the comScore
MobiLens service, revealed a combined iOS installed base of 37.9
million users. According to the report, the installed base of iPhones
slightly exceeded that of iPod Touches, both of which were
approximately twice as high as the number of iPads.
The report includes comScore’s first publicly available data showing
demographics and other characteristics of users of connected media
devices, such as the iPad and iPod Touch. Initial research indicates
that Apple’s iOS platform, which resides on iPhones, iPads and iPod
Touches, has a combined platform reach of 37.9 million among all mobile
phones, tablets and other such connected media devices, outreaching the
Android platform by 59 percent.
The installed base of iPhones slightly exceeded that of iPod Touches,
both of which were approximately twice as high as the number of iPads.
Interestingly, among the 37.9 million consumers with access to the
Apple iOS, only 4 million (10.5 percent) accessed the platform via more
than one device. The combined 37.9 million iOS users is 59 percent
greater than the 23.8 million combined Android OS installed base, which
includes users of both Android phones and connected media devices such
as the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
“These data clearly illustrate the Apple ecosystem extends far beyond
the iPhone,” said comScore senior vice president of mobile Mark
Donovan. “Though it’s frequently assumed that the Apple user base is
composed of dedicated Apple ‘fanboys’, there’s not a tremendous amount
of overlapping mobile device access among these users. This of course
has significant implications for the developer community as they
consider the market potential in developing applications for different
mobile platforms.”
The research also suggests that iPad ownership extends well beyond
Apple’s most fervent consumers. Although a perception may exist that
iPad owners tend to be those with a very strong affinity for Apple
products, an analysis of the mobile devices of iPad owners indicates
that may not be the case. While Apple is indeed the most heavily
represented OEM among iPad owners, its OEM share (27.3 percent) is only
slightly higher than its share among all smartphone subscribers (25.2
percent).
The report found RIM accounts for the second highest percentage of iPad
owners at 17.5 percent, but this number is well below its overall
smartphone market share of 28.9 percent. Meanwhile, Samsung, LG and
Nokia are all significantly overrepresented among iPad owners as
compared to their respective shares of the smartphone market. In
addition, 14.2 percent of iPad users had Android phones.
The age profile of iPad users indicated the heaviest skew toward 25-34
year olds (27.0 percent) in relation to the total mobile audience (17.6
percent). iPads also exhibited significantly above average skews in the
18-24 year old and 35-44 year old segments. However, this demographic
profile was similar to that of the overall smartphone user base,
indicating that the advanced mobile capabilities rather than the device
itself might be the primary driver behind this age profile.