M:Metrics says Apple iPhone users watch more than twice as much “mobile TV” and mobile video as users of other smartphones. The company reports iPhone users watch 30.9 percent compared to 14.2 percent for other smartphone users and a mere 4.6 percent of the cellular market in general (see below).
Before writing more, I should say that M:Metrics’ use of “mobile TV” refers to, I assume, sideloaded content — first downloaded to a computer and then transferred to the iPhone. The iPhone cannot access over-the-air TV programs, in the sense of specific live and on-demand mobile TV packages offered by MobiTV for Sprint, Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Mobile TV or even AT&T’s own mobile TV offerings.
In a separate category from “watched mobile TV and/or video,” 20.9 percent of iPhone users “watched on-demand video or TV programming” compared to 7 percent of other smartphone users and 1.4 percent of the market, M:Metrics says.
Delivering on the hype
iPhone users blow away other smartphone customers when using their handsets to access other Internet content, such as news via the browser, Web searching, social networking sites or blogs and listening to music their phone, the research firm says.
Mark Donovan, a senior analyst at the firm, says in the release, “The iPhone has certainly delivered on its hype. Beyond a doubt, this device is compelling consumers to interact with the mobile Web, delivering off-the-charts usage from everything to text messaging to mobile video.”
AT&T’s flat rate for “unlimited” use of data is a major factor in the usage patterns. “Our data shows that once the fear of surprise data charges is eliminated, mobile content consumption increases dramatically, regardless of device,” Donovan says.
The demographics of iPhone users are similar to other smartphone users, but better educated and making more money than the typical cellular subscriber. iPhone customers are more likely to be male, 25 years old to 34 years old, have a college degree and earn more than $100,000.
Not so good compared to EU
M:Metrics’ release also included information about use of content and applications in the overall market of the European Union, several countries in Europe and the United States (see below). Interestingly, the overall market for watching video on phones shows U.S. subscribers are almost at the bottom compared to the EU in general and select European countries.
Overall, U.S. subscribers at the bottom of the heap, 21.9 percent, when it comes to sending or receiving photos or videos.
isnt it a hassle to first downlaod the content from PC to iphone and still the metrics show that iPhone users watch mobile TV more than the smartphone users...
Posted by: lisa28 | March 24, 2008 at 01:50 AM