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Nielsen Data Shows Android Users Still the Most Hungry For Data

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And how could you blame them? With all of these awesome phones with awesome capabilities beyond what a phone should be able to do, how can you not eat those megabytes up like a pig? As the title said, Nielsen, in a data usage report, found that, on average, Android users consume more data than iPhone users. Specifically, Android users used 582MB per month in Q1 2011 opposed to 492MB per month by iPhone users.

More than Android users beat iPhone users, though, Android remains at the top of the chart when it comes to data consumption. With Android phones on certain carriers who don’t care how much data you use in a billing cycle, this is to be expected. And we’re sure all of you rooters out there have played a huge part in driving this average up with your tethering and what-not. Long story short, we’re big fat data-hogging pigs over here and we don’t care. Now let me get back to my Netflix. [Venture Beat]

Quentyn Kennemer
The "Google Phone" sounded too awesome to pass up, so I bought a G1. The rest is history. And yes, I know my name isn't Wilson.

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42 Comments

  1. I think a lot of that has to do with the whole first to cloud music through mSpot, Amazon Cloud, and Google Music. iCloud just came out so that could change things over time as more iPhone users start to migrate their music to the cloud versus storing it on their device.

    1. True… luckily with an open OS, we don’t need to wait around for our overlords to bake that kind of stuff in at their leisure.

      1. REALLY? Are you using some cloud personal music streaming service on your android that I am not aware of?

        1. Uh, Amazon Cloud Drive AND Google Music

          1. Honestly, both of those are so new, and still in beta. I am not an Apple fan, but they are bringing cloud music streaming just as fast as the competitors… I am sure a simple app, once google music is out of beta, will take care of that for iOS users and will not need to be baked into the OS as you claim.

          2. mSpot has been available for awhile too. Also, Amazon cloud drive on Android, as well as DropBox for Android allows you copy your content local for offline viewing/playback (as opposed to iOS), that is because the iOS overlords have decided the user does not need access to the local file system that multiple applications can share as well… so yeah, maybe iOS can stream Cloud Drive content, but that is just a small part of the true cloud experience.

          3. Also, a quick search on Google shows Amazon Cloud drive can be streamed on iOS anyway. Again, not something that had to be “baked in by the overlords”.

  2. I don’t get how people can only use 582 mbs of data every month. Without even trying i can easily hit 1 gb.

  3. *Oink* I like data *Oink* 

  4. Lol, the only reason wp7 made it to the list is because all their apps are so poorly coded that they eat up data even when they arent being used.

  5. See how it started at the same usage as the iphone?
    People just figure to use an adroid phone more than an iphone.

    1. Sure. There are also way more android phones at many different price points available. Google has the winning market strategy no doubt. It’s like Apple versus Microsoft of old being played all over again. There was a time when Apple was kind in the PC sector. They have all but been smashed to bits.

  6. Geekier users go to Android. It makes sense, we use fringe tech that isn’t main stream yet.

    iPhone has no flash, so can not stream so well, as an example.
    iPhone can not install music into its Library from a downloaded mp3 (unless its changed recently) as a second example.

    facebook isn’t a high data using web site. Now is BB email. Android people are the most likely to voip/video chat/pirate/stream/play high end games.

    1. Though, I pay for my data bill. I don’t see how this is anyone elses business but my own.

      1. It’s because you’re using someone else’s data. You’re on “your carrier”s data, and they may want to know how you’re using their data and if they should cap you or not. Get it? You don’t necessarily own the data that you’re buying. Or at least, that’s how I’m seeing it.

  7. Blackberry, with BBM only uses that much data? 
    Would’ve of thought it’d use more.

    1. Messages are incredibly small, in the bytes region per message. One would have to be sending a shit ton of messages to make up for a lot of data.

  8. 582? I usually clear 10GB.

  9. This graph is funny. I use 15+ GB a day at home on my home ISP

  10. I’m on the verge of hitting my 5gb cap for tmobile….one more week left before the new cycle. I download a lot of youtube vids and watch streams. This month was E3 and a whole bunch of tournaments. Android phones are so awesome

    1. I know how you feel. I’m at 4.81GB and my data restarts the 25th. Luckly I’m in college most of the day, so I just turn off my data, and wait til I’m there and use that slow-fi. -_- Better than 2G but it’s no 3G. 

  11. I used about 4.5 GBs on my EVO… no tethering.

  12. I used 32gb one month on my evo 4g home net went down for like a week hell i used over 50gb Thursday on my home net i download way to much 

  13. Verizon unlimited 4G LTE…13 GB for the month so far lol

    1. You haven’t reached a data cap? I thought Verizon had one!? Oh my google you’re so lucky!! That’s why I want Sprint to buy Tmo. Sprint doesn’t have a data cap.

      1. Doesn’t the data cap just crank everything down, but not turn data usage off? I use about 2 gigs or something a  billing cycle.  

        1. Yea that’s right. On Tmo, after I reach 5GB, my data speeds drop down to
          edge or 2G.

  14. Seriously, please respond if part of this Nelson group cuz this data is BS. I’m on Sprint and I don’t even switch my phone to wifi. Easily clearing that average in a freaking afternoon. Netflix (until GB ), Napster (free 6 mos with Best Buy Silver), Pandora, and Amazon Cloud player all on my phone. Redo that survey with those apps and I’m sure you will not get those numbers. I’m not even including web browsing, maps and Facebook.

    Give a buch of hicks in the flyover states with no tech savy and you will get that low data usage. Verizon and AT&T paid for this survey to say tiered pricing is good for us and no one wants unlimited data price so we removed it.

    1. The AVERAGE user uses the amounts posted. This can certainly be true. I know plenty of people (mostly chicks) with smart phones that are probably well UNDER the average. People posting on this site are going to be the heavy data users. We are the minority…

  15. I eat a good 10 gigs on average… Anybody else as hungry for data as me?

  16. att wants to add another whole bunch of ANDROID users to their overtaxed network?

  17. I use 7gb per month on average based off the last 6 months. Good to know the people they are tracking are using their phones. I don’t Expect them to use as much as me, but it’s good to know that this kind of usage is popping up. Get these companies ready for heavy usage. The future of mobile data was here…. yesterday.

  18. I web search and listen to pandora a few hours a day, and I rarely ever reach a gig.

  19. hehe i hit 41 gigs this month. dont ask. Thank god i have unlimited data

    1. This man loves his porn, god bless him.

      1. hahaha not exactly what i meant but fine with it

  20. I use at least 2gbs a month

  21. I’m jealous of everybody talking about they use 5+GB every month. Tmo has a data cap at 5GB so I can’t enjoy it like you guys can. I limit myself to averaging 3.5GB monthly. *sad face*

  22. On my Sprint account says I used about 1 GB a month, but it seems inaccurate, I tether once in a while, unless that 1 GB is for my 3G only when I loose my WiMax connection around town.

  23. is that joke win7 data use or trojans running in it 

  24. i don’t think the windows phone 7 data is real

    http://goo.gl/1L6aC

  25. yea thank goodness my sprint plan is unlimited because i’d hate to have to keep track of my data usage 

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