A new report shows that iOS users are seven times more active online compared to Android users.

The report, released by Net Applications, studies over 40,000 websites to record traffic from mobile devices and found that for the first time, Android had edged out iOS in terms of page views, with 44.62 per cent of views coming via Android compared to 44.19 per cent accessed through iOS.

However, while Android page views are higher, they also have a substantially larger global user base, roughly 85 per cent, versus Apples 12 per cent. This means that when page views per user are calculated, iOS comes out around seven times higher.

The reason behind this comes back to the traditional wisdom that most of Androids marketshare comes from consumers buying cheap and simple smartphones for everyday usage who may not be particularly net savvy or engaged with online life, while iOS devices, which are exclusively high-end, are bought by wealthier consumers who spend more time online, and engage with their phones more often.

This trend has also been observed in app usage too, and is a sign that marketers and brands should look beyond simple usage numbers when deciding what channels to advertise through. While Android continues to grow in terms of sales, and is improving engagement, the rumours of a new iPhone release before the end of the year may well shake these figures up.