iOS users generate twice as much Web traffic as Android users

A study of Web data spanning a six-month timeframe shows that iOS users generate twice as much Web traffic as Android users.

The Chitika Insights study, the research arm of advertising firm Chitika, consisted of an analysis of the user agents of billions of advert impressions spanning a six-month period, from May 27, 2012 to November 27, 2012. This allows the traffic to be broken down based on operating system.

The data shows that iOS users generate twice the volume of Web traffic compared to Android users.

According to the research, while smartphone Web traffic share is a near-tie between the two platforms, Apple has a huge lead in the tablet market, with the iPad having a commanding lead over Android.

The iPad is the largest contributing factor to Apple's lead over Android.

While there is little doubt that Android is crushing the competition in the mobile market space, this has left analysts wondering why iOS usage seems to exceed that of Android. One suggestion that has been put forward is that the Android platform is simply too complicated for the average user to figure out, and that while people are buying the devices, they aren't getting to the point where they are using them.

I believe that this is partly down to user education. Apple has spent a lot of time and money creating commercials that show its products being used to solve real-world problems. As short and as simple as these ads may be, they give owners -- and potential owners -- an idea of what the iPhone or iPad can do. That might seem extremely basic, but it gets people to explore the potential of their iOS-powered device.

Compare this to ads I've seen for Android hardware, which seem to focus on the device itself rather that what it can do for the owner.

Image source: Chitika Insights.