IPhone Far More Popular Than Android Devices On Planes
Source: Elizabeth Woyke
Google may be increasing its Android army by 550,000 devices a day, but Apple’s iPhone is the undisputed leader in in-flight mobile Internet use.
In-air Wi-Fi provider Gogo says 65% of the mobile users that access its service do so with iPhones. Android owners, in comparison, make up just 12% of Gogo’s mobile users. The statistics come from a survey that Gogo plans to release next week.
If iPod touch users are added in, Apple’s share of in-flight Wi-Fi users climbs even higher. Gogo says 80% of travelers that connect to its service do so via an iPod touch or iPhone.
The results are notable because there are more Android devices in use than iPhones, both globally and in the U.S. ComScore’s most recent research report found that Android made up 38% of the U.S. smartphone market in May while Apple claimed 27%. Research from IDC, released in June, said Android devices made up 39% of the global smartphone market while Apple’s iOS operating system held 18%.
Gogo is also the leading provider of in-flight Wi-Fi in the U.S., so its findings provide a useful snapshot of in-air Wi-Fi usage in general. The closely-held company, which has offices in Colorado and Illinois, powers the Wi-Fi on all domestic AirTran Airways, Delta Air Lines and Virgin America flights as well as select Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways flights. In total, Gogo works with more than 1,000 aircraft.
Consumers pay different rates depending on the type of gadget they connect to Gogo’s Wi-Fi and the length of their flights. A regular “flight pass,” which covers any Wi-Fi enabled device, such as a laptop, costs $4.95 for a flight up to 1.5 hours, $9.95 for a flight between 1.5 and 3 hours and $12.95 for a flight that lasts longer than 3 hours. A “mobile pass,” which is only eligible for mobile device users, is cheaper ― $4.95 for a short flight and $7.95 for a longer flight. Gogo also sells Wi-Fi access in 24-hour and monthly increments.
Other mobile operating systems had a much smaller presence on Gogo flights. Gogo says BlackBerry users were the third-largest group, making up 6% of its mobile customers. The remaining 2% of mobile Gogo users had a mix of phones, including Microsoft’s Windows Mobile/Phone devices.
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