Android-based handsets have displaced the iPhone as the most popular device for consuming live mobile TV. So says mobile TV firm Yamgo, which analysed the behaviour of 50,000 Android and 50,000 Apple (iPod, iPhone and iPad) users on the its mobile TV platform, sampled at random during July 2010.
The analysis revealed that Android phone owners watched 23 minutes of linear TV per session, compared to 20 minutes for Apple users. Yamgo says that since its support for Android live TV and video launched less than three months ago, the uptake and usage have been impressive, and clearly shows that Apple is losing its position as the number one mobile TV platform.
With Android securing 27 per cent of smartphone market share in the second quarter of 2010 according to Nielsen, Yamgo believes it will become a critical platform for content owners and broadcasters to support. Introduced into the smartphone market less than two years ago, Android handsets continue to outsell iPhones and display notable growth in terms of adoption and functionality. The launch of larger screen Android phones and tablets has fuelled a rising demand amongst users eager to watch high quality live TV and video on their powerful and attractive new devices. 
“The uptake of Yamgo’s Android TV service has been better than expected,” says Yamgo founder and CEO, Ian Mullins. “As the Android platform continues to grow in popularity and availability, Yamgo will play a vital role in consumer adoption of Android mobile TV. With more Android devices being released in the near future, Yamgo will increase its linear TV and on-demand programming to satisfy the rapidly growing marketing for streaming mobile TV.”
In addition to Android and iPhone, Yamgo is also compatible with Symbian, Windows and Blackberry operating systems. “At a time when progressively fragmented audiences are watching live TV and video content on multiple devices, broadcasters, media companies and service providers need an easy and flexible way to distribute content across multiple handsets and operating systems,” adds Mullins. “Our content delivery network makes it easier than ever for companies to reach Android users, in addition to our existing audiences.”
