Data Monday: iOS & Android Differences

by January 24, 2011

Previously, I've looked at the differences between Google's Android and Apple's iOS platforms by comparing sales data, user interface design decisions, and even advertising campaigns. This week here's a few more unique ways to compare these two smartphone platforms.

  • 90% of iOS users are on the latest release (iOS 4). 0.4% of Android users are on the latest release (Android 2.3). 51.8% of Android users are on Android 2.2. Over 12% of Android users are still on Android 1.5 and 1.6. (source)
  • In the third quarter of 2010 approximately the same number of iOS and Android devices shipped (iOS including iPads and iPod touch) but the browser gain was 20% for iOS vs. 9% for Android. (source)
  • Apple ended 2010 with roughly 300,000 apps in their App Store, the Android Market grew to about 130,000. (source)
  • The number of apps downloaded for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch is running at more than 60. In the fall of 2008, there were about 10 apps downloaded for every iPhone/iPod touch. Two years later the rate was more than five times higher. (source)
  • Apps from the Apple App Store reached 10 billion downloads in less than half the time it took songs in the Apple iTunes Store: 31 vs 67 months. (source)
  • During the year 2010 Android emerged as the single best selling mobile platform in the US. However, the few iPhone models that are available on the market are actually selling more than any specific Android device. (source)
  • The ratio of iOS to Android users was more than 15 to 1 at AT&T. iOS at AT&T has twice the users as Android at Verizon. Although T-Mobile had the Android franchise to itself for all of 2009, it was overtaken by Verizon within four months. (source)
  • Over the last year RIM fell to 45% of Verizon's smartphone subscriber base in November, 2010. That's down from 69% of Verizon's smartphone subs in November, 2009. Meanwhile, during that time, Android rose to 44% of Verizon's smartphone subscriber base, up from 2% the year before. (source)
  • Google is now activating 300,000 Android devices per day. (source)
  • iPhone scores 84% higher in loyalty ratings than the nearest competitor, Google Android. (source)
  • Among non-iPhone users, the number one preference for the next smartphone is iPhone. (source)
  • Google Inc.’s Android operating system for mobile devices is more vulnerable to hackers and viruses than Apple Inc.’s iPhone platform, according to security-software maker Trend Micro Inc. (source)