Are You an iPad User? New Survey Thinks it has You all Figured Out
The Who, What, and When of iPhone and iPad Usage
There is a new study from Flurry Analytics that reveals some interesting characteristics of iOS users. In particular, the study differentiated iPad and iPhone users, based on behavior and demographics. Usually, studies are looking at the differences between iOS and Android users. This time, we are getting some insight into different kinds of iOS users. More to the point, we might can gain some insight into the broader world of tablet users versus smartphone users in general.
One of the first things one might notice from the graph is that the vast majority of it favors iPhone use. Only a small subset skews towards the iPad. That might also reflect the relative difference in sales numbers and time on the market. There are far more iPhone users than iPad users. Obviously, there is quite a bit of cross over. There are more people with iPads who also have iPhones, than there are people with iPhones who also have iPads. According to this study, if a person only has one device of the two, that device is more likely to be an iPhone.
To me, that makes the iPad specific information stand out all the more. Apparently, the biggest difference between iPad and iPhone owners is that iPad owners also tend to be pet owners. This is a tough correlation to fathom. As it happens, I happen to be both. Perhaps the relationship has to do with domesticity. Being married with children might lead to a more settled lifestyle than being single, footloose, and fancy free. The iPad's larger size lends it to a more settled existence within a home, on the couch or the kitchen table.
Small business owners, moms, casual gamers, and home designers also skew towards the iPad. These are all things you would expect to see in a well ordered, nuclear family. Dad is using the iPad in the home-office. Mom is doing mom things on the kitchen iPad, and the 1.7 kids are playing a casual game during their time-out. On the weekend, they all head off to Home Depot to pick up the supplies they will need for the home improvement project they mapped out on the iPad. Clearly, the iPad is the device for the Bradys and the Cleavers.
The iPhone seems to be the device of choice for hipsters, movers, and shakers. The two that stood out for me are the value shoppers and new moms. This suggests young people just starting out in their adult lives who have not yet gained their fortunes. It is the mobile platform of choice for those who can only afford one device.
It is also a device for social taste makers. With the introduction of iOS 6, there is no easier platform from which to tweet, or update Facebook. With the use of remote enabled headphones, you can do it through Siri without even taking the iPhone out of your pocket. It also comes as no surprise that shutterbugs tend to be more iPhone-centric. The iPhone still has one of the best cameras of any smartphone.
The biggest takeaway from this report is that, regardless of platform, there is a little something for everyone. iPhone users run the gamut from rich to poor, new moms to tech enthusiasts. The iPad is equally useful to the businessman and pre-pubecent kid hooked on Candy Crush. By not marketing devices specifically to one demographic, Apple seems to have gained them all. For a more in-depth look at the study, be sure to visit the source link at the top of the post.
David Johnson