Apple iOS reaches more users than Android platform in Europe

Apple's iOS platform has a bigger user base than arch-rival Android within Europe, according to figures from analytics firm ComScore.

Overall, there are 28.9 million active iOS devices in circulation within the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy when iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices are taken into account. This makes the the Apple platform 116 per cent larger than Android's installed base, which has 13.4 million users in Europe.

There are 16.1 million iPhone users across the five European countries, meaning that Apple has 2.7 million more smartphone in circulation than Google's Android.

ComScore also looked at the demographics and smartphone usage habits of iPad owners. Somewhat unsurprisingly, 62 per cent of iPad owners in Europe are male and the majority of these fanboys are between the 25-34 years old.

Only 8.2 per cent of iPad owners are aged between 13-17 years of age, and 17.4 per cent of devices are owned by users aged 55 and over. This suggests that the price of the device plays a role in who actually users it.

Interestingly, ComScore noted that iPad ownership in Europe extends beyond Apple fanboys. A substantial number of tablet owners use smartphones from another manufacturer. Some 26.4 per cent of iPad owners actually use a Nokia device,

Meanwhile, 15 per cent use a Samsung device alongside their iPad, and 6.6 per cent use a Sony Ericsson handset. However, just 4.8 per cent use a BlackBerry and 2.4 per cent use a Motorola handset in conjunction with the Apple device.

"This data clearly illustrates that the Apple ecosystem extends far beyond the iPhone, but it also shows that there is significant penetration of iPad users amongst owners of other handset manufacturer's devices," said Jeremy Copp, vice president of mobile at ComScore.

"BlackBerry users are the only segment of users to buck this trend and are significantly under-represented among iPad owners, which is perhaps a signal of brand loyalty as they awaited the launch of the Blackberry Playbook."

The figures show that Apple still attracts users based on its strong brand and is leading Android despite the Google platform being available on considerably more devices. However, with Google continuing to push the Android platform the battle for superiority is far from over.

21 Apr 2011