comScore has released data on iPhone users in the UK. The data reveals that 93% of iPhone owners accessed mobile media in January 2009. According to comScore, almost 80% of UK iPhone owners accessed news and other information via a browser. This is four times the figure for all mobile phone users, making it the most popular type of mobile content consumed on the device, closely followed by email, which is used by 75% of British iPhone owners,
Consumers are clearly embracing the iPhones touch screen keyboard, says comScore analyst, Alistair Hill. The penetration of email usage on the iPhone is more than double that of the Smartphone category as a whole.
The App Store is also extremely popular among iPhone owners, with 55.6% accessing news and information via a downloaded application, compared with 22.1% of Smartphone owners, and 6.3% of all mobile phone users. The iPhone has also provided a boost to the mobile games sector, with 37% of iPhone owners downloading a game and 18.6% buying one. Only 5.6% of Smartphone owners and 2.7% of mobile phone users bought a game in January.
The comScore data also reveals the demographics of iPhone owners. 75% are males, mostly between the ages of 18-44. Smartphone ownership also typically skews male in the UK, with males comprising 65% of the audience.
The iPhone is indeed an early adopter phenomenon in the United Kingdom, says Hill. While the devices ease of use is certainly contributing to the lift we see in mobile media consumption, the fact that the device requires a subscription package that includes an unlimited data plan is also a contributing factor. However, it is also important to note that while nearly all iPhone owners are consuming mobile media, the device is in the hands of only 2% of mobile phone users in the UK.
comScore data also shows that 55% of mobile media consumers are male, and 65% are between the ages of 18-44. 23% of mobile media users own a Smartphone, while 3.5% own an iPhone.