Droid Launch Impact on Android Mobile OS: 8X Higher Page Views than G1

A lot of buzz has been generated lately regarding the Android platform ranging from comments by Google’s Eric Schmidt about leveraging the AdMob acquisition to expand the number of ads on Android devices to the $100 million Verizon Droid marketing campaign. Based on data from a segment of Omniture customers, all the attention has created lift for web usage on Android devices as a whole. The chart below shows comparative mobile page view volume for Android devices during Verizon’s launch of the Motorola Droid.

As you’ll notice from the chart, mobile web usage on Droid devices during the launch period was 8X higher than usage generated on G1 devices during its launch last year. Also interesting is the apparent lift to all Android usage sparked by the Droid launch and general Android buzz. Here are two reasons why should you care:

(1) The usage gap between the G1 and Droid launches can’t be entirely explained by higher Droid sales, indicating users across all Android handsets are increasing their mobile web usage. Increased web usage on Android (and mobile in general) provides higher returns for businesses investing in optimized mobile web experiences.

(2) Increases in Android market share makes investing in Android apps more appealing. Businesses waiting for a tipping point in critical mass before porting their iPhone apps to other platforms like Android should closely watch these trends.

If you are a SiteCatalyst customer and you want to gauge the impact of the Droid launch (or Android in general) on your business, just go to SiteCatalyst > Mobile > Devices and search for the devices you wish to report.

Shameless plug: If you’re a SiteCatalyst customer, here’s a link to the SiteCatalyst for Android App which has been available for over a year (direct link to app in Android Market Place—url only works on Android devices).

• Ed Hewett
• 2 responses
•  mobile analytics

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