Non-phone mobile devices such as tablets accounted for 20% of mobile marketing impressions during the first quarter of 2012,? compared to 15% in Q1 of 2011, according to a report by Millennial Media. The independent mobile platform provider measured impressions across its own platform, garnering data about the top 20 mobile phones, top 10 mobile device manufacturers, leading mobile device operating systems and top mobile app categories ranked by impressions.
Smartphones are the device to beat, with 73% of the impressions in Q1.The category stayed fairly flat from Q4 2011 to Q1 2012 (likely owing to the surge of Kindle Fire and iPad sales around Christmas). Still, over the course of a year, smartphone impressions jumped from 62% in Q1 2011 to 73% in Q1 2012. A second key influence is the decline of the feature phone, which dropped from 23% of impressions in Q1 2011 to 7% in 2012.
The Android remained the top overall operating system on the Millennial Media platform in Q1 2012, with a 49% share of impressions, and Apple remained the leading individual mobile device manufacturer, with 28.32% of mobile devices. Samsung was second with 18.25% of devices, and HTC third with 11.30%.
Other highlights from the Q1 Mobile Mix report include (ranked by impressions on the Millennial Media platform during the quarter):
- The Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Amazon Kindle Fire were the top tablets in Q1, and all three were among the top 20 mobile devices.
- The Apple iPhone remained the leading individual mobile phone, accounting for 15% of impressions.
- Android made up 14 of the top 20 mobile phones.
- Samsung was the second leading manufacturer and had 4 of the top 20 mobile phones, with a combined impression share of 8%.
- Gaming was the top mobile app category and grew 10% compared to Q4 2011.
- Mobile video views increased 958% from Q2 2011 to Q1 2012.
“Tablets and other non-phone connected devices have established a clear role in the growing mobile ecosystem,” said Jamie Fellows, SVP, Product, Millennial Media. “The substantial quarterly growth of impressions in this category is tied to both increased usage and adoption, and we expect this trend to continue in the foreseeable future.”
