Sam Oliver
Android caught up with iOS thanks to an 8 percent month-over-month increase for Google's mobile operating system. Millennial Media, the largest independent mobile advertising network, found that Google and Apple are crowding out competitors in the smartphone landscape, with only Research in Motion's BlackBerry taking a significant 20 percent share in third place.
The company has seen Android device requests grow 2,182 percent since January. For comparison, requests from Apple devices have grown 32 percent since the start of 2010.
The iPad has grown at a much faster rate, however, with requests from Apple's touchscreen tablet growing 112 percent month over month in October.
Despite the surging presence of Android, Apple's unified software and hardware strategy has kept it the largest manufacturer of devices seen in Millennial's network for the last 13 months. Apple accounted for 24.98 percent of device manufacturers in October, ahead of Samsung's 17.06 percent second-place finish, and Motorola with 14.78 percent in third.
Broken down by devices, the iPhone was also the most popular mobile device, representing 15.96 percent of the users seen on the ad network. The iPod touch was the third most popular device, with 7.53 percent, and the iPad came in ninth with 1.49 percent.
Earlier this month, the ad network categorized the growth of Android by noting that it had edged the iPad to become the second-most popular mobile development platform. Earlier this year, in April, the iPhone represented 70 percent of Millennial's smartphone traffic.
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17 Comments
doesn't look to me like that gives any idea of how popular the operating system is overall - just how common it is in the ad network.
my parents recently got iPhones and so far have not loaded any apps that have ads.
some measure of how many devices are active overall would be needed.
A statistic that says something along the lines of - despite only half as many units shipped, android OS delivers the same number of ads (or ads to the same number of unique device IDs) as iOS - means that android users on average are seeing twice as many ads an iOS users.
Google's strategy of flooding the market and licensing to anyone who can make a box is working.
Yes. Android has a lot more ad supported apps. That's what this report proves.
How many of the ads are from Angry Birds?
doesn't look to me like that gives any idea of how popular the operating system is overall - just how common it is in the ad network.
Indeed, and especially as the whole Android model is geared towards free apps (thereby ad supported) as the payment system is appauling for developers and customers.
It's not in Google's best interest to have anything other than ad-supported apps, otherwise they don't get any money. There lack-lustre payment system is just lip service to some of the higher profile development houses (EA etc.) that just wouldn't develop apps if they couldn't charge money for them.
Just my two pence worth.
Not to mention that it only measures ads that go onto their network.
Anyone using iAds would not be included here. Since iAds are becoming so popular, that makes a big difference.