April 2011 mobile device stats emphasize the power of the mobile market.
Millennial Media’s Mobile Mix report released this month underscores the breadth of mobile devices in the marketplace. Apple is still on top as a manufacturer, with more than double the impressions of second-ranked Samsung. The iPhone also ranks first in the list of top 20 mobile phones, with the BlackBerry Curve in a close second (with one quarter of the iPhone’s impressions). Among the other notables on the list are several products from the “quietly brilliant” HTC, including the best-selling HTC Evo. With more than 53% of the smartphone market, the Android operating system has surpassed iOS as of April 2011, with iOS a close second at 28%.
What does this mean for the market and for communications professionals trying to enable their messages to reach their audiences via these mobile devices? Think multi-platform if you wish to cover all your bases. Apple had a good run, and if history repeats itself, it will continue to innovate, but the iPhone 4 was not much of an improvement in the innovation category. The HP TouchPad has quickly shown how you can use your tablet and smartphone in perfect unison. When you add input method (touch screen, touch/QWERTY, QWERTY and keypad), the evidence is far stronger. Touch devices are here to stay, and application design and the devices’ forms will continue to evolve. Innovation will prompt customers to buy devices, but the unique, out-of-the-box methods of conveying information to others through these devices will strengthen their staying power. People choose to check Facebook, read books, check email, and share videos from their mobile devices because it’s easy. Developers make apps to meet consumers’ needs since the cost to develop and launch them to market is relatively low compared to that of other software models in the history of computing.
The competitive market for operating systems and device innovation will keep the market moving. The lack of market stability benefits both consumers and creative entrepreneurs around the world.
Check out the full Mobile Mix April 2011 report.
Author: John Carew
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