Despite owning only a fraction of the mobile market share enjoyed by Android, iOS is taking a commanding lead in actual usage, with the number of unique impressions accounting at times for more than three quarters of all traffic in the past week.
According to a new near-realtime tool launched by online ad network Chitika, over 71 percent of all mobile traffic originated from an iOS device in the last 24 hours, compared to Android's 23 percent.
Since the Mobile Dominance Tracker was announced on Apr. 19, Android impressions haven't surpassed one third of the traffic monitored while iOS has reached as high as 80 percent.
The system works by compiling operating system data from unique impressions seen on the firm's ads across its network of over 200,000 websites, though the official sample size is unknown. This raw data is then translated into both a rolling 24 hour pie chart and a line chart that breaks down usage by hours. To ensure continuity, the firm employs a six hour delay before posting results.
Android is still leading the mobile market and recent numbers from Nielsen see Google's OS taking a steady 48 percent share of the market. Apple has been catching up and now holds a 43 percent stake at the expense of RIM's BlackBerry and other smaller smartphone operating systems.
Chitika Insight's Mobile Dominance Tracker gives iOS a commanding lead in mobile usage. | Source: Chitika