Smartphone platform rankings
MobiLens, a service of comScore has released new data on mobile phone trends from February through April of 2011, reporting that 74.6 million Americans own smartphones out of the 234 million Americans over 13 that own mobile devices. The marketshare of smartphone owners has risen an impressive 13% since the immediate past three month reporting period ending in January 2011.
The top mobile platform is now Google Android, taking up 36.4% of smartphone subscribers (up 5.2%), Apple has taken second at 26% of all smartphone subscribers (up 1.3%), RIM is now third with just 0.3% less marketshare than Apple (down 4.7%), followed by the fourth ranking Microsoft at 6.7% of the market (down 1.3%) and lastly HP acquired Palm which has sunk to only 2.6% of smartphone subscribers (down 0.6%).
Top phone manufacturers
The platforms used aren’t the same as who manufactured the smartphones which gives another perspective of smartphone use. The study showed Samsung is the number one of all mobile phones (not just smartphones) with 24.% of marketshare even though it dipped 0.4%. Samsung is followed by LG with 20.9% (up 0.1%), Motorola with 16.5% (down 0.9%), RIM with 8.6% (down 0.4%) and lastly Apple with 7%, up 1.3%, the biggest increase from the last reporting period.
Consumer mobile use
What do people do on their phones? Is text messaging on the rise or is Facebook? Where should you be investing time and money? The report notes that nearly 70% of mobile users text message, 40% use web browsers, 38% download apps and 25% accessed social networks or blogs.
It may seem that everyone is extremely advanced and you’re dead in the water if you don’t have a futuristic app, but over 60% don’t even download apps. Web use is completely different, but it should be noted that smartphones are rising in popularity, but there is time to adjust for Realtors.
Furthermore, if you don’t show up to a listing appointment with an iPhone, iPad, Android and custom augmented reality app, there’s a good chance your consumer doesn’t have any of those things yet either. If you’re a gadgets type, you will have the latest and greatest no matter what, but if not, you aren’t a dinosaur. Yet. Realtors that are wired and tech savvy usually are such because it makes a lot of real estate life much more simple, saves time and allows for multi-tasking. The bottom line is that smartphone use is on the rise, so you’ll eventually need to be there (using one and offering smartphone ready apps and services), but you’re not alone if you’re still using your 2005 Palm Treo 600.
