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Android Smartphone Users Consuming Twice As Much Data As iPhone Users

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Back in 2011, Nielsen reported that Android smartphone users have somewhat higher data consumption than iPhone users in America. Based on the latest data from Ratemizer application users, Finnish Android phone users were consuming twice as much data as iPhone users at the end of 2012. The monthly data consumption of Android owners was 2.07 GB in November 2012, while iPhone owners consumed 1.05 GB of mobile data. This is an interesting contrast to mobile voice and SMS consumption patterns. Android users had 6% lower mobile voice and 30% lower SMS volumes during the same month. It thus appear that Finnish Android owners consume far more data than iPhone owners – but fewer voice minutes and text-messages.

Heavy use of various VoIP and video services might help explain the higher data usage among Android owners. There is a handset industry cliché about Android owners being more technologically oriented and more likely to use voice and video services. Perhaps that applies to the Finnish Android owner pool. Most of smartphone usage takes place at home and within domestic WiFi networks. It is possible Finnish Android owners may be more mobile than iPhone owners and thus more exposed to mobile data consumption. Some studies have indicated that Android owners tend to be younger than iPhone owners. This could translate to both more handset use outside home WiFi sphere and an inclination to experiment with video streaming services.

Of course, Apple offers its own texting, file-sharing and video system that helps consumers to avoid SMS charges when they communicate with other iPhone owners. But many consumers using Google's Android devices tend to use cross-platform messaging and video applications that could lead to higher data consumption while depressing SMS usage. It is quite possible that different operator pricing strategies in different countries shape usage patterns - AT&T and Verizon currently have much smaller ranges of smartphone plans than many of their European and Asian peers.

Alekstra's survey of mobile data usage was based on a random sample of more than a thousand Android and iPhone owners using the Ratemizer application. Ratemizer helps consumers cut their mobile bills and it is now available on both Google Play and Apple’s iStore in Finland and the United States.