AdMob today released its monthly Mobile Metrics Report, focusing primarily on worldwide device and OS market share as seen through its network. AdMob says it places ads in around 15,000 mobile Web sites and applications, and generates it’s data by logging device, OS and location information for each ad-request it receives.
Nokia is still the clear leader in terms of worldwide device market share, garnering more than 50% of ad-requests from regions such as Africa and Asia. In areas of the world where the iPhone has entered the market, it’s done so at the expense of Nokia which has long had a stronghold in most regions. Nokia’s share has decreased steadily in Eastern Europe, for example, where its total market share has dropped to 35% in Q4 2009. Apple’s share in the same region has already skyrocketed to 23%, though 8 out of the top 10 devices are still Nokia produced.
Some interesting stats came out of Latin America, where AdMob noted that Sony’s PlayStation portable was the number 3 device in terms of smartphone ad-requests. Blackberry, though it has 3 of the top 10 devices in Latin America, only accounted for 8% of total ad-requests in the region, while the iPhone took the top spot with 39%.
Closer to home in North America, Apple lead with 40% followed by Samsung and Motorola with 17 and 11% respectively. Android showed strong growth- reaching 27% for Q4 2009, by far it’s highest penetration in any region. Still, the iPhone accounted for 54% of total smartphone requests.
Though it gives good insight, I still question the validity of AdMob’s Mobile Metric Reports. AdMob started as an iPhone-oriented mobile advertising company, and has since migrated to having a strong interest in Android-based devices as well, obviously. Since nearly all of the ads it serves to smartphones are centered around Android and especially the iPhone, it doesn’t give the greatest all-around snapshot. Still, it provides insight into the long-term given the fact smartphones such as Android and the iPhone represent the future of mobile devices and especially the future of the mobile Web and how to monetize it.
I just got the Android and I love…I’m kinda the anti iPhone
Hmm, I had read (sorry don’t remember where) that Blackberry makes up 50% of the user base compared with 25% iPhone. AdMob’s stats are interesting but they do seem askew.
In terms of overall user-base that may be true, but AdMob’s figures are based on the percentage of total ad-requests coming from each OS.
In terms of ad-requests to AdMob’s network, Blackberry devices send a very small percentage compared to iPhones.
Maybe because the type of the user blackberry x iphone, so the people who use iphone are more open to applications and aadvertisments them the people who use blackberry?
Absolutely- Blackberry users aren’t focused on mobile ads given their enterprise-oriented nature, and most Blackberry devices aren’t mobile Web-centric to begin with. iPhones on the other hand are very mobile Web-oriented, and their users are much more likely to be open to mobile ads, hence the higher percentage…
The statistics will change once Nexus One will gain some fans. iPhone has already decreased Nokia’s popularity and now seems like it’s hunted by Nexus One. You care read in this article how mobile video ads will change the situation: http://www.thehdstandard.com/general-discussion/mobile-video-advertising/
Catalin
Professional Streaming Consultant
Android phones are the best! My favorite is Huawei’s Android!
It’s interesting that metrics reports from other mobile ad networks are focusing less and less on ad requests/impressions by handsets. From a mobile marketing point of view there are more useful things they can be sharing e.g. CTR by OS; CTR by sector; where people click through to; fill rates etc. So it’s good to see more diversity. Hopefully increased competition and more skepticism will bring along more. I recommend this mini-review on six reports currently on offer (please let us know if we’ve missed any): http://mobithinking.com/blog/ad-network-mobile-metrics-reports-head2head
I completely agree, we get bombarded with the same stats over and over again. It’s unfortunate that mobile metrics (useful ones at least) are so behind the times it seems.
Great article too by the way!
I agree with you that Nokia is still the clear leader in terms of worldwide device market share!