Apple rules the mobile web despite Android's popularity says report

[zsdersw]

You’ve been here long enough to know that nothing’s ever wrong with android. To say it’s lacking at all is to cause a holy war where no matter what proof is brought to the table it’s dismissed. Only when the new version of the software is released can we agree that there was a problem with the old version, and even then it’s mostly the phone manufacture’s fault.

Yes, we know.. you think iOS is perfect.

 

[Skel]

Yes, we know.. you think iOS is perfect.

Then you'd be very wrong.. I have a hatred of most things Apple..

 

[zsdersw]

Then you'd be very wrong.. I have a hatred of most things Apple..

It was similar in tone to your post, just about iOS instead of Android.

 

[preslove]

LOL at all the people making stupid arguments using this faulty study. Apple absolutely owns the tablet market and people use tablets MUCH more than their phones to surf the web.

If you think this says anything about iPhones vs Android phones, then congratulations, you're an idiot.

 

[Ns1]

Here are Anand's benchmarks for browsing.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4951/...rks-800mhz-a5-slightly-slower-gpu-than-ipad-2

Note my iPhone 4 vs. the Galaxy S2.

FYI on samsung tab 2.0 7"

sunspider: 2383.5
browsermark: 91160

things I learned today: benchmarks mean nothing

 

[Eug]

LOL at all the people making stupid arguments using this faulty study. Apple absolutely owns the tablet market and people use tablets MUCH more than their phones to surf the web.

If you think this says anything about iPhones vs Android phones, then congratulations, you're an idiot.

USA, mid-2011

So, the iPhone out-browsed all Android devices (phones and tablets) combined, and out-browsed the iPad as well.

This was one of the first links that popped up in my search. I didn't bother going through all the links to find something from 2012.

 

[Mopetar]

The results don't seem that surprising. Even though Android was outselling iOS, I believe that around that time the overall install base for both platforms were fairly similar. Android has likely since gone on to surpass iOS (which does include the iPad so the comparison becomes somewhat more muddy) so the results may have changed.

I don't expect that the results have changed much. My mom recently got an Android phone when her old dumb phone died, but she doesn't use any of the smart features and really doesn't care about them. I imagine that there are a lot of other people who also picked up free or cheap Android phones in place of a dumb phone when upgrading, but don't use it any differently than their dumb phone. Those people are going to pad Android's numbers but contribute nothing to web or app usage statistics.

Apple really hasn't had this problem as until recently they weren't offering any iPhones for free with contract so the people who were just after a free phone weren't going to buy an iPhone. Now that they have a model for free, perhaps that trend will change.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

The results don't seem that surprising. Even though Android was outselling iOS, I believe that around that time the overall install base for both platforms were fairly similar. Android has likely since gone on to surpass iOS (which does include the iPad so the comparison becomes somewhat more muddy) so the results may have changed.

I don't expect that the results have changed much. My mom recently got an Android phone when her old dumb phone died, but she doesn't use any of the smart features and really doesn't care about them. I imagine that there are a lot of other people who also picked up free or cheap Android phones in place of a dumb phone when upgrading, but don't use it any differently than their dumb phone. Those people are going to pad Android's numbers but contribute nothing to web or app usage statistics.

Apple really hasn't had this problem as until recently they weren't offering any iPhones for free with contract so the people who were just after a free phone weren't going to buy an iPhone. Now that they have a model for free, perhaps that trend will change.

This was my point before. People who buy an iPhone buy it to use it. A lot of Android users are simply people trading for free phones. This is why when I walk around in San Francisco's Financial District, and sit in a random coffee shop, I could easily be 1 of two Android users out of 10 total people, with the rest using Apple iPhones.

Almost everyone who I know that has an iPhone uses Facebook and Instagram and Twitter actively. They're browsing, consuming media, etc. People my age who have Android phones do similar things, but I can speak for a lot of older people like parents who have Android phones but do nothing at all on them.

One thing skewing mobile browsing in Android's favor is the fact that iOS stuff has apps. I almost NEVER open the web browser on my iPod Touch, and I believe that was the same when I was using an iPad. Compare this to my Android phone where I find that I need the web version of a lot of things. Sure things have gotten better, but I think many Android users up til maybe 6 months ago when they redesigned the FB app remember that touch.facebook.com was better than that horrendous mobile app.

So yeah, there's things skewing statistics both ways. Maybe data consumption as a function of OS type is a better indication of smartphone usage?

Honestly, my two cents is that my iPod Touch is very smooth in scrolling and after loading websites. My SGS2 does fine too, but my single core phones don't hold a candle to the iPod Touch. When people say that their browsing is nice on their Android phone, remember that it took you 2 or 4 cores and massive memory to get basic tasks to work well. Meanwhile the iPod Touch 1G is still doing fine loading websites.

Remember when computers had 128mb of RAM and we loaded websites too? Now Firefox can gobble 1gb of memory easily and we still think browsers are slow. What has changed? And if anything Flash has seen a downfall since 10 years ago so there's no point in citing flash. Software is just getting more bloated.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

This was my point before. People who buy an iPhone buy it to use it. A lot of Android users are simply people trading for free phones. This is why when I walk around in San Francisco's Financial District, and sit in a random coffee shop, I could easily be 1 of two Android users out of 10 total people, with the rest using Apple iPhones.

Surely you realize SF is somewhat of an exception, I see tons of Android phones everywhere.

 

[Eug]

This was my point before. People who buy an iPhone buy it to use it. A lot of Android users are simply people trading for free phones. This is why when I walk around in San Francisco's Financial District, and sit in a random coffee shop, I could easily be 1 of two Android users out of 10 total people, with the rest using Apple iPhones.

Tons of Android phones used as internet consumption devices in Toronto now, but I agree the percentage is less than with the iPhone.

Almost everyone who I know that has an iPhone uses Facebook and Instagram and Twitter actively.

FWIW, I have never ever had an account for Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I don't use instant messaging either, just text. Hell I don't even use iMessages because it's primarily linked to an email address, not a telephone number.

They're browsing, consuming media, etc. People my age who have Android phones do similar things

Indeed.

but I can speak for a lot of older people like parents who have Android phones but do nothing at all on them.

My wife uses her iPhone 3G as a dumb phone. However, that's because it's a hand me down, and texting on a standard numeric keypad was driving her nuts.

One thing skewing mobile browsing in Android's favor is the fact that iOS stuff has apps. I almost NEVER open the web browser on my iPod Touch, and I believe that was the same when I was using an iPad.

I hate most of those dedicated internet apps. When I browse on the iPhone, I use Safari. Same goes for the iPad (which I don't use much actually). The only apps I really use are those for my IP cameras, banks, and maybe Netflix or something, along with utilities and games. Oh and I do use one of our retail store apps, because they include a barcode scanner. Comes in handy if I'm at another store and I want to a quick price comparison. But dedicated app just to surf a news website? No thanks.

 

[QueBert]

from what I've learned on the internet about this, is this -

These types of charts encompass not just iPhones but iPads + even iPod Touches for Apple. So comparing iOS to Android isn't fair, even though Android has phones + tablets + iPod Touch like devices too.

I can't wait for the next thread about how the not even released in the US and barely released internationally S3 phone wipes the floor with the year+ old iPhone 4S.

 

[TuxDave]

USA, mid-2011

So, the iPhone out-browsed all Android devices (phones and tablets) combined, and out-browsed the iPad as well.

This was one of the first links that popped up in my search. I didn't bother going through all the links to find something from 2012.

I find that graph odd. (mainly due to the lack of symmetry). Why are Android tablets and phones lumped together but iOS tablets and phones not?

 

[Mopetar]

I find that graph odd. (mainly due to the lack of symmetry). Why are Android tablets and phones lumped together but iOS tablets and phones not?

If I had to guess, it's because the Android tablet numbers account for such a low amount that it wouldn't really be worth breaking them down. Also, it may be a technical limitation due to the way the browsers identify themselves.

 

[shortylickens]

My HD7 browses just fine, on Wifi.
On 3g it stinks.

 

[TuxDave]

If I had to guess, it's because the Android tablet numbers account for such a low amount that it wouldn't really be worth breaking them down. Also, it may be a technical limitation due to the way the browsers identify themselves.

Perhaps. Based on some stats online, it says 95% of tablet web usage is iPad. And so I guess optimistically that would place Android tablet at 1/20th the traffic of iPad which is in the 1.275% range. (which would be bigger than Symbian/Windows/Java ME combined)

 

[runawayprisoner]

Surely you realize SF is somewhat of an exception, I see tons of Android phones everywhere.

Not just SF. The entire Bay area is littered with iPhones/iPods/iPads/Macbooks.

You'd have to be extremely lucky to find someone with a new-ish Android phone.

Aside from myself, I haven't seen anyone. Not a single person. From Oakland down to Monterey Bay. Who actually owns an Android phone with ICS.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Not just SF. The entire Bay area is littered with iPhones/iPods/iPads/Macbooks.

You'd have to be extremely lucky to find someone with a new-ish Android phone.

Aside from myself, I haven't seen anyone. Not a single person. From Oakland down to Monterey Bay. Who actually owns an Android phone with ICS.

It's very different elsewhere, I know I have seen at least a couple of different Gnex's in the wild as well as a Transformer and Transformer Prime.

 

[Ns1]

I have never seen a:

GNex, Note, HTC One, Transformer, Transformer Prime, OR Tab 10.1 in the wild

 

[Eug]

I have seen the Note in the wild (Toronto). If you see it used as a phone, it's impossible to miss, as it's so ridiculously big.

 

[Ns1]

Oh wait. I have seen a note in the wild. At the Samsung note promo booth @ Hollywood/highland.

 

[Eug]

In that case I've probably seen all those other phones as well.

 

[zerocool84]

This was my point before. People who buy an iPhone buy it to use it. A lot of Android users are simply people trading for free phones. This is why when I walk around in San Francisco's Financial District, and sit in a random coffee shop, I could easily be 1 of two Android users out of 10 total people, with the rest using Apple iPhones.

Almost everyone who I know that has an iPhone uses Facebook and Instagram and Twitter actively. They're browsing, consuming media, etc. People my age who have Android phones do similar things, but I can speak for a lot of older people like parents who have Android phones but do nothing at all on them.

One thing skewing mobile browsing in Android's favor is the fact that iOS stuff has apps. I almost NEVER open the web browser on my iPod Touch, and I believe that was the same when I was using an iPad. Compare this to my Android phone where I find that I need the web version of a lot of things. Sure things have gotten better, but I think many Android users up til maybe 6 months ago when they redesigned the FB app remember that touch.facebook.com was better than that horrendous mobile app.

So yeah, there's things skewing statistics both ways. Maybe data consumption as a function of OS type is a better indication of smartphone usage?

Honestly, my two cents is that my iPod Touch is very smooth in scrolling and after loading websites. My SGS2 does fine too, but my single core phones don't hold a candle to the iPod Touch. When people say that their browsing is nice on their Android phone, remember that it took you 2 or 4 cores and massive memory to get basic tasks to work well. Meanwhile the iPod Touch 1G is still doing fine loading websites.

Remember when computers had 128mb of RAM and we loaded websites too? Now Firefox can gobble 1gb of memory easily and we still think browsers are slow. What has changed? And if anything Flash has seen a downfall since 10 years ago so there's no point in citing flash. Software is just getting more bloated.

Isn't that because your iPod Touch 1G can't do more than one thing at a time? No reason for it not to be smooth.

 

[QueBert]

Isn't that because your iPod Touch 1G can't do more than one thing at a time? No reason for it not to be smooth.

Doesn't mean anything, all I have open on my Galaxy Note at the moment is the audio player, and it's very choppy as I'm scrolling thru my list of albums.

 

[kyrax12]

This was my point before. People who buy an iPhone buy it to use it. A lot of Android users are simply people trading for free phones. This is why when I walk around in San Francisco's Financial District, and sit in a random coffee shop, I could easily be 1 of two Android users out of 10 total people, with the rest using Apple iPhones.

Almost everyone who I know that has an iPhone uses Facebook and Instagram and Twitter actively. They're browsing, consuming media, etc. People my age who have Android phones do similar things, but I can speak for a lot of older people like parents who have Android phones but do nothing at all on them.

One thing skewing mobile browsing in Android's favor is the fact that iOS stuff has apps. I almost NEVER open the web browser on my iPod Touch, and I believe that was the same when I was using an iPad. Compare this to my Android phone where I find that I need the web version of a lot of things. Sure things have gotten better, but I think many Android users up til maybe 6 months ago when they redesigned the FB app remember that touch.facebook.com was better than that horrendous mobile app.

So yeah, there's things skewing statistics both ways. Maybe data consumption as a function of OS type is a better indication of smartphone usage?

Honestly, my two cents is that my iPod Touch is very smooth in scrolling and after loading websites. My SGS2 does fine too, but my single core phones don't hold a candle to the iPod Touch. When people say that their browsing is nice on their Android phone, remember that it took you 2 or 4 cores and massive memory to get basic tasks to work well. Meanwhile the iPod Touch 1G is still doing fine loading websites.

Remember when computers had 128mb of RAM and we loaded websites too? Now Firefox can gobble 1gb of memory easily and we still think browsers are slow. What has changed? And if anything Flash has seen a downfall since 10 years ago so there's no point in citing flash. Software is just getting more bloated.

I find that Android now has a lot of apps too. A lot of sites have apps for Android now and I feel that I don't need to use the web version. Like Facebook, tumblr, Twitter, Instagram..etc,