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30 Mar 2009
Apple's iPhone has failed to make it into the top 20 most popular handsets for browsing the web and buying mobile content and services, according to statistics from mobile analytics and billing company Bango released today.
The firm used its Bango Analytics tool, which helps businesses track visitors to mobile sites, and its Bango Payment billing service in order to arrive at the figures.
The resulting Bango Top 20 handset list for February puts the Nokia 3110c first, followed by the Samsung M800 and the Nokia 6300. The iPhone appears in a lowly 24th place.
Companies should see this as a warning not to get caught up in the hype surrounding the iPhone, according to Bango chief executive Ray Anderson, and ensure that they provide a web site experience that is optimised for all devices.
The iPhone may appeal because it requires minimal optimisation work to make a site viewable on the handset, but it is limited in not allowing users to download content such as MP3, videos or applications, Anderson warned.
"Based on the number of handsets projected to be sold by the end of 2009, there are other choices to consider," he said in a blog post. "Whatever you do, don't lose sight of the rewards that the mass market will bring by thinking that the iPhone is the only game in town."
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Do you agree?
Difficult to Believe
I ifnd this story difficult to believe and wonder just what sites Bango uses to measure handset use. Since O2 in the UK reports that the average iPhone user downloads 25MB per month from the internet and ATT in the US reports that iPhone users use twice as much data as any other handset they sell, this story just seems off the mark.
Posted by: Michael 31 Mar 2009
Utterly pointless
Right, because the iPhone does not browse the mobile web, it browses the real web. Yes, the iPhone will not crack the top 20 sites for downloading ringtones and possibly purchasing a game from a WAP site, because, oh, wait for it... Because with the iPhone you can surf the REAL web (not the mobi web,) you can buy apps from the iTunes Store (no, not the mobi web,) and wow, you can make and install your own ringtones for free (and not from the aforementioned mobi web, at silly prices...) I don't understand the point of this report. If you read Bango's site, they track browsers that may lack Javascript that are surfing mobile sites. Since the iPhone does not fall in this category, I would not expect it to show up.
Posted by: E 31 Mar 2009
Quality Research
Yeah the "Mobile Web" - you don't see the iphone there because it hardly ever accesses the "Mobile Web" - The nokia that you site is a WAP phone and yeah the nokia series 40 phones rule the WAP world. Saying that the iphone doesn't use WAP is a lot like saying that an Indy 500 car isn't used on the local go-kart track.
Posted by: !Phil Muncaster 31 Mar 2009
WAP
Does the iPhone even access those WAP sites Bango is talking about?
Posted by: AceMcLoud 31 Mar 2009
Totally Wrong Stats!
Why do you include iPhone in top 20 handsets? Its supposed to be a smart phone and most of the mobile contents is purchased from App Store.. there are already 15000+ apps with millions of downloads (including paid apps). The total article is just lame!
Posted by: Hmmm 30 Mar 2009
Wow, where to begin
You do realize that the iPhone doesn't in general access mobile web sites, it just accesses the REAL web (which can include mobile web sites). So, it is not surprising that the iPhone is #24 on phones that access the mobile web.
Posted by: Jimbo 30 Mar 2009
Different perspective
Perhaps the iPhone is low because it takes a different approach to mobile sites. Instead of going to a web site for products & services, the iPhone's App Store provides custom applications that interface directly to those items. With over 25,000 apps in the App Store, there's a good chance you'll find a dedicated app for the item you seek as opposed to going through a web site. For example, I never go to the Facebook site through the iPhone's Safari browser. I instead use Facebook's iPhone application to access my account and interface with its services.
Posted by: D9 30 Mar 2009
Priceless
Somebody's telling porkies here or their analytics tool is... well not very analytical. According to Admob, the iPhone accounts for 50% of mobile web traffic in the US. So who is right? Curious... I just downloaded an album straight to my iPhone, from the most popular online music store on the planet -- the iTunes Music Store. This guy does not know facts from fiction(or deliberate lies) Bango's their reputation...sorry
Posted by: ketamine 30 Mar 2009