Smartphone operating systems: The market share, usage disconnect
Smartphone Web usage and market share may be two statistics that don't mesh very well, according to a report by AdMob, which serves mobile ads.
In a report released Wednesday, AdMob compared its market share stats vs. Gartner's. The findings indicate a few things:
- AdMob's stats are iPhone heavy;
- Mobile usage, which is what AdMob tracks doesn't match market share;
- Symbian, RIM and Windows Mobile have market share, but lag in mobile Web usage.
My takeaway is that you have to take a lot of these stats with a heavy grain of salt. But since AdMob tracks mobile ads, it is likely to favor OSes with the most interactive experience. It's clear that the iPhone is a more ad friendly device.
Breaking down usage further, AdMob finds that there's also a disconnect between the mobile Web (like m.zdnet.com) and HTML sites. Here the iPhone also dominates.
The final notable chart from the AdMob report is the AdMob share of requests broken down by operators and manufacturer.
The takeaways:
- AT&T is reliant on Apple;
- Verizon Wireless is in bed with RIM;
- T-Mobile relies on HTC a good bit;
- And the rest of the pack relies heavily on Samsung.