comScore: Apple’s iOS Reach Is “Double” Android’s

Android has been outselling the iPhone for many months now, and it’s widely assumed that Android has all but eclipsed Apple in the market and among developers for mindshare. However today comScore released a more “holistic” look at iOS vs. Android that includes iPod Touch and iPad owners, which contradicts that conventional wisdom.

When all the iOS devices are combined (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch), Apple’s reach is 59 percent greater than Android’s in the US market. The metrics firm says there are a combined 37.9 million iOS users in the US. By contrast there are 23.8 million combined Android OS users (including tablets).

The following chart looks at what mobile phones are owned by iPad users (by OEM). It’s interesting to see that RIM is the second leading handset OEM after Apple. RIM’s Playbook tablet is being released this week and the company is counting on BlackBerry owners to buy it vs. the iPad.

Overall, 14.2 percent of iPad users had Android phones. (I’m in that group.)

In addition comScore looked at the demographics of iPad owners. The bulk of iPad owners cluster between 18 and 54, which makes sense. ComScore says this distribution corresponds to smartphone ownership in the US.

It seems to me however there are a meaningful number of teen and senior users, which speaks to the wide appeal of the device. Nielsen earlier revealed similar data (pre-iPad2), that skew younger.

European data are reportedly coming soon.

About The Author

Greg Sterling

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.