iPhone 5S Users Consume Way More Data Than Anybody Else

Advertisement

Mobile Insider is a daily newsletter from BI Intelligence delivered first thing every morning exclusively to BI Intelligence subscribers. Sign up for a free trial of BI Intelligence today.

Advertisement

DATA HOGS: iPhone 5S users eat up more data than anyone on other devices, according to a new study from mobile data analytics company Arieso. Currently, 5S users suck up almost seven times more data than iPhone 3G users. The iPhone 3G was used as a benchmark for comparison of data usage across a variety of the newest and most popular smartphones and tablets. The 5S lead, benchmarked against the 3G, was greater than the data usage lead for any other smartphone or tablet product from a variety of manufacturers.

When looking at emerging markets, that number jumps to 20 times more data than the average user. Arieso claims that each new iPhone generation has driven data consumption up between 20% and 40% from the previous year. This theory held true with the debut of the 5S as well; 5S data consumption is up 20% from last year's study, when the top-ranked phone was the preceding iPhone 5. It's not just the 5S, either. Apple devices made up six of the top 10 spots in Arieso's data usage device rankings, again showing that iOS users do more on their phones than most other mobile users.

Complimentary Tech Event
Transform talent with learning that works
Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

But Arieso thinks all flagship phone users, including Samsung users, are contributing to the trend. The lower-cost companion to the 5S, the iPhone 5C, made up only about half the data consumption of its flagship counterpart. Flagship phone users are even outperforming tablet users for data consumption. Because premium and flagship phones have become more like "phablets" with larger screens, consumers may now ultimately prefer wielding their more portable smartphone for most data consumption purposes.

Whatever the device may be, the power users at the top are hungrier than ever for data. Looking at usage shares on 4G networks, Arieso calculated that the top 0.1%, essentially the most extreme data users, consume about half of all 4G data. (Arieso)

Advertisement

GOOGLE STILL OPEN-SOURCE?: We do not charge fees for our Android Mobile Services. A report from The Guardian claiming that Google-branded Android services like Maps, Gmail, and Google Play required smartphone manufacturers to obtain a "Google Mobile Services" (GMS) license to be paid for on a per-device basis. The company quickly fired back, confirming to 9 To 5 Google that the report was not true. One of the inherent charms of Android is its free, open-source nature. But Google has been quickly attempting to corral its presence across the platform's many third-party app markets by making GMS closed. The company has already received undue attention for this strategy, and would likely be under more scrutiny for charging a GMS licensing fee, which goes directly against the open-source philosophy of Android. (9 To 5 Google)

SAMSUNG PROFIT SLOWS: Throughout 2013, Samsung has been chasing Apple in terms of profitability. Now, the final quarter might actually have widened that gap. The debut of new iPhones and the successful sales from other, lower-cost manufacturers put a damper on Samsung Galaxy unit sales, causing Samsung's overall profit to fall. (Bloomberg Businessweek)

BIGGER iPHONE SCREENS: Samsung may be in bigger trouble later on in 2014. The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will release two new iPhones with 4.5-inch and 5-inch screens later this year. Up until now, the larger screen trend had been overlooked by Apple but embraced by Samsung. (Wall Street Journal)

WELCOME, INSIDERS: The Mobile Insights newsletter is now Mobile Insider, a reflection of our increasing emphasis on the day's most important topics in mobile, as well as news exclusives of interest to industry insiders. We look forward to the newsletter becoming an even more important part of your morning routine.

SURFACE SUCCESS: After a disastrous start to 2013 for Microsoft's Surface line of tablets, mid-year pricing adjustments helped the division finish out the year successfully. Microsoft reports Surface more than doubled in the most recent quarter compared sequentially to the previous quarter. (Microsoft)

Advertisement

NINTENDO OS: Nintendo, after facing multiple years of losses, has been facing a lot of pressure to bring its games and other products to the mobile ecosystem, where gaming is skyrocketing. The idea is that Nintendo would develop its branded games for iOS and Android. But, Chris Kohler at Wired thinks Nintendo should create its own app store to cater to the 40 million Nintendo 3DS handheld console users out there. (Wired)

Here's what else BI Intelligence subscribers are reading...

DRONES: Quickly Navigating Toward Commercial Application, Starting With E-Commerce And Retail

SMARTPHONE MARKET UPDATE: The Markets, Manufacturers, And Devices That Will Drive Future Growth

Social Big Data: The User Data Collected By Each Of The World's Largest Social Networks - And What It Means

Advertisement