Hype met: iPhone indeed puts the Internet in your pocket

March 18, 2008 | MG Siegler | Comments | |

iphoneusage84.8 percent of iPhone owners use the device to browse the web, according to a new study by M:Metrics. That’s a staggering number when you compare it to the rest of the market: Only 13.1 percent of people who own other types of cellphones are using their phones for the same purpose. Even on other smartphones, only 58.2 percent use their phones to browse the web.

These numbers suggest that Apple chief executive Steve Jobs was right when he said the iPhone would change the way people use mobile devices to browse the Internet. At the All Things D conference in May of last year (just prior to the iPhone launch) Jobs said, “You’ve used the internet on your phone, it’s terrible! You get the baby Internet, or the mobile Internet — people want the real Internet on their phone. We are going to deliver that.”

It’s interesting to note that the “real” Internet that Jobs talked about has changed somewhat as a result of the iPhone. A number of sites, including Facebook, have made pages specifically built for the device. Things could change even more when the third-party applications developed with the iPhone’s SDK (software development kit) begin to come out in June (our coverage).

The other numbers from the study (in the table below) are just as impressive for the iPhone — especially the use of social networks on the device and naturally, the use of the device for music playback.

largeriphoneichart

“Apple really made a device that is Internet-centric and really fits the kind of digital lifestyle that a lot of people who are jacked into the Internet all the time are used to,” Mark Donovan, an analyst at M:Metrics told The New York Times Bits blog.

Apple’s computer sales division saw some very encouraging numbers as well recently. A report from NPD says that in February Mac sales were up 60 percent from the year prior. This data also shows Apple’s share of the PC market growing from 9 percent a year ago to 14 percent in February 2008.

Also, check out our coverage on the reports of the iPhone SDK being a “joke” and Apple getting its mojo back with the SDK announcement.

update: As our reader Sebastien notes in the comments, the iPhone is also driving mobile Google Maps usage as was previously reported by GigaOM back in September.

[photo: flickr/Yaniv Golan]

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About the Author, MG Siegler

MG Siegler writes about technology trends and new media for VentureBeat, with a focus on mobile topics, social elements and key news stories. Before that, MG wrote about technology on his blog, ParisLemon. Originally from Ohio, MG attended the University of Michigan where he studied film. He's previously lived in Los Angeles where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where he did web development. He now lives in San Francisco.

  • I'm surprised they don't mention Google Maps (i.e. local search) usage. According to Google, they received a surprisingly high amount of mobile traffic to Google Maps from the iPhone.
  • MG - Good analysis on research numbers. iPhone will change the way we "experience" internet.

    This is a fast moving segment and research is lagging consumer behavior change. iPhone is changing how we collect and use information. More people are using in-store comparison shopping using iPhone because it makes whole experience easy and fun.

    I got my addiction to photowalking thanks to iPhone. More on that here -

    http://blogs.messagedance.com/2008/03/17/create...

    cheers,
    Brij

    PS: Commenting module is bit too sensitive and complains that I need to "slow down"
  • @Sebastien - Great point. I read that same report, I'll hunt it down and throw it in there. Thanks!
  • @Brij - Thanks. I too use my iPhone as my primary camera - which probably isn't the best thing since it's not that great, but it's just so convenient.

    Also thank you for pointing out the comment issue - we're aware of it and are working on fixing it. Anyone else who has that issue please just use the 'back' button on your browser and then repost (your comment will still be there).
  • So, what we have is:
    1. Google search in a BIG BIG box on desktop = 58.6% use web search
    2. Google Maps pre-installed = 84.8% got info via browser

    Conclusion?

    Pre-installed software is king.

    Corollary: third party mobile software is a loser.
  • @Yuri - well see what happens come June when the 3rd party iPhone apps start coming in.
  • MC: to this extent, you have to assume that 1) Apple will keep its deadline unlike with SDK and 2) that SDK will be released in final form. Right now, SDK is labeled "early beta" which for all practical purposes means "alpha" and the most you can get from it is relatively simple gaming and online apps. Finally, developers need to get certificates from Apple, but so far, all we got are FU letters :)))))

    BTW, did you note that Apple also restricts apps from 1) interacting to one another 2) being plugins to other apps and 3) not meeting the Human Interface Guidelines? It is not exactly a playground... more like a max security courtyard. :))

    Disclaimer: I am an iPhone and Android developer.
  • 1. Someone launches a device with a large great screen and advertises (and uses PR to great effect) that it is worth its higher price tag because you can use it to surf the web.
    2. People use it to surf the web.
    Loads of people, in Europe at least, buy smartphones because it's bundled for free with their package, whether or not they ever intended to use the advanced functionality. A fairer comparison would be with the Nokia E90- similarly priced, large screen device.