Study: iPhone, iPad users most voracious data consumers in developed and developing markets
For the fourth year in a row, network technology firm JDSU found owners of Apple's iDevices to be among the most "data hungry" of portable device users, with the latest figures showing iPhone 5s consumption up by 20 percent compared to the iPhone 5.
In its annual report released on Wednesday, JDSU's Location Intelligence Business Unit (formerly Arieso) saw growth in data consumption from owners of flagship handsets like the iPhone 5s, even as wireless data becomes more mainstream in developed markets.
As noted by TechCrunch, JDSU's 2013 data consumption study tracked over one million subscribers in a "Tier 1" European market and another one million subscribers in an unnamed developing market. Owners of more than 150 different devices, including smartphones and tablets, were monitored over a 24-hour period to gauge average data use.
The results showed Apple product owners are the most demanding of all users. As seen in the above chart, iDevices account for six of the ten "hungriest" devices in the study's developed market measurements, with the iPhone 5s taking the top spot in downlink data per user.
"Each new generation of iPhone has resulted in increases in data consumption of between 20-40 percent -- even today when data use is common," said Dr. Michael Flanagan, CTO of Mobility for the Network and Service Enablement business segment of JDSU and author of the study. "Though interestingly, users of the more economically-priced iPhone 5c consume data in the range between that of the iPhone 4s and 5 users."
iPhone 5s owners in developed countries gobbled up seven times more data than baseline measurements provided by iPhone 3G users. This represents a 20-percent increase over 2012's iPhone 5, which took the top spot for that year's study. Further, iPhone 5s users demanded 20 times more data in developing markets, or a 50-percent increase over the iPhone 5.
While not noted in the report, iPhone 5s users may be more likely to suck down data as the device is built specifically for use on speedy 4G LTE networks. Aside from a better user experience, faster networks allow subscribers to access more data in a given period.
"The faster the speeds that mobile operators provide, the more consumers swallow it up and demand more," Flanagan said. "One would expect a honeymoon period in which early adopters test their toys. But for 4G users to consistently exhibit behavior 10 times more extreme than 3G users well after launch constitutes a seismic shift in the data landscape."
Interestingly, developing markets saw higher data consumption from flagship smartphones compared to developed markets. This can be attributed to two factors, Flanagan said. The first is that the iPhone 3G which was the standard benchmark for JDSU's study, exhibits lower data consumption per user in developing markets. The second reason may be the absence of data-hungry devices like tablets, cellular data cards and other equipment.
As for uplink consumption, Samsung's Galaxy S4 lead the pack in developing markets while placing third behind the iPad 4 and HTC Sensation in Europe. The metric was ascribed to the S4's larger camera sensor, which produces larger files for uploading to various social networks and cloud storage services.
Overall, the study offers valuable insight into the future of cellular data communications. Some thought consumption would even out as smartphones and tablets reached saturation points, but the study's data suggests no such slowdown is in sight. With rich Web content, high-resolution streaming and smart device proliferation, advanced data networks will more than likely see the equivalent, or higher, demand in the coming years.
In its annual report released on Wednesday, JDSU's Location Intelligence Business Unit (formerly Arieso) saw growth in data consumption from owners of flagship handsets like the iPhone 5s, even as wireless data becomes more mainstream in developed markets.
As noted by TechCrunch, JDSU's 2013 data consumption study tracked over one million subscribers in a "Tier 1" European market and another one million subscribers in an unnamed developing market. Owners of more than 150 different devices, including smartphones and tablets, were monitored over a 24-hour period to gauge average data use.
The results showed Apple product owners are the most demanding of all users. As seen in the above chart, iDevices account for six of the ten "hungriest" devices in the study's developed market measurements, with the iPhone 5s taking the top spot in downlink data per user.
"Each new generation of iPhone has resulted in increases in data consumption of between 20-40 percent -- even today when data use is common," said Dr. Michael Flanagan, CTO of Mobility for the Network and Service Enablement business segment of JDSU and author of the study. "Though interestingly, users of the more economically-priced iPhone 5c consume data in the range between that of the iPhone 4s and 5 users."
iPhone 5s owners in developed countries gobbled up seven times more data than baseline measurements provided by iPhone 3G users. This represents a 20-percent increase over 2012's iPhone 5, which took the top spot for that year's study. Further, iPhone 5s users demanded 20 times more data in developing markets, or a 50-percent increase over the iPhone 5.
While not noted in the report, iPhone 5s users may be more likely to suck down data as the device is built specifically for use on speedy 4G LTE networks. Aside from a better user experience, faster networks allow subscribers to access more data in a given period.
"The faster the speeds that mobile operators provide, the more consumers swallow it up and demand more," Flanagan said. "One would expect a honeymoon period in which early adopters test their toys. But for 4G users to consistently exhibit behavior 10 times more extreme than 3G users well after launch constitutes a seismic shift in the data landscape."
Interestingly, developing markets saw higher data consumption from flagship smartphones compared to developed markets. This can be attributed to two factors, Flanagan said. The first is that the iPhone 3G which was the standard benchmark for JDSU's study, exhibits lower data consumption per user in developing markets. The second reason may be the absence of data-hungry devices like tablets, cellular data cards and other equipment.
As for uplink consumption, Samsung's Galaxy S4 lead the pack in developing markets while placing third behind the iPad 4 and HTC Sensation in Europe. The metric was ascribed to the S4's larger camera sensor, which produces larger files for uploading to various social networks and cloud storage services.
Overall, the study offers valuable insight into the future of cellular data communications. Some thought consumption would even out as smartphones and tablets reached saturation points, but the study's data suggests no such slowdown is in sight. With rich Web content, high-resolution streaming and smart device proliferation, advanced data networks will more than likely see the equivalent, or higher, demand in the coming years.
Comments
Of course. They’ve never had anything like this before, so they’ll be the most voracious.
Don't exactly seem like a bunch of third world Shakespeare's or Michelangelo's!
What exactly is Sammy up to... This is bizarre
Comical... Why do Samdung users have almost as much upload as download?
Don't exactly seem like a bunch of third world Shakespeare's or Michelangelo's!
What exactly is Sammy up to... This is bizarre
It is all that extra tracking data being sent to Big Brother, err.... Google.
Apple offers an almost singular perspective/experience on its fields of expertise. So why would not those friendly experiencers enjoy the moment?
What electronics provides in abundance is information, people consume information voraciously.
Seems obvious.
The emerging middle class world wide would like things to differentiate themselves from the populace.
Apple offers an almost singular perspective/experience on its fields of expertise. So why would not those friendly experiencers enjoy the moment?
What electronics provides in abundance is information, people consume information voraciously.
Seems obvious.
Yes. But misinformation too. Judging from this corner of the world, lots of misinformation.
I think the report chalks it up to the larger camera MP resulting in much larger images to upload. On the surface, this makes sense.
What I find really odd is that this does not seem limited to the 4S but ALL Samsung phones - I would agree that it's probably a google thing.
I find it hilarious how every time I log on to google news it ALWAYS asks for my location (Even though it knows that I have set news for NYC area).
Google needs to be studied carefully...
I agree with SJ - there is something sinister brewing over there
For one thing, it's surprising how close some of the Android phones are to the top Apple phones. The days of premium Android phones being far behind do seem to be in the past.
Also the interesting difference between download and upload stats. The numbers make it look like there is more upload than download for some phones, but that's deceptive: they are undoubtedly higher percentages of a much lower base quantity - download data is surely much more than upload data. Still, it is interesting. Why are the Android phones over-represented in upload data? Is it a characteristic of Android, or a difference in the use of the device?
And emerging market data use is very high. My speculation: more often it is a person's only connected device. Developed-market users still probably do most of their online activity on an actual computer (some on a tablet); phones are often mainly for quick online use when not home or at work.
Apple iPhone has made tethering (via personal WiFi hotspot) easy since the early days, and I submit that many users such as myself exploit that feature, hence using more data. But the phone itself is merely acting as a router, not a consumer, of the data. My usage on the phone itself rarely exceeds 500MB for the month, but I routinely consume 5.5+ GB through tethering. And I pay for it.