Mfarhanonline Social Media News: Reading this on an iPhone ? You’re more than twice as likely to be doing so via Wi-Fi than that guy with the Android phone next to you, according to a new study. The majority of Android users ditch Wi-Fi hotspots for mobile networks, whereas iPhone owners typically ride both. Looking at network usage on both iPhones and Android phones in the U.S., comScore found that just 29% of iPhone owners restrict themselves to mobile networks when browsing the web, compared with a whopping 68% of Android users. Just 32% of Android owners use Wi-Fi some of the time, but on iPhones, it’s 71%. In the U.K., the picture is a little more favorable for Wi-Fi on Android, but the imbalance is similar. A full 87% of British iPhone owners use Wi-Fi and mobile networks, compared with only 57% of Android users (see chart, below). Either way you slice it, that’s a deep rift in usage habits between iPhone and Android. What do Android users have against Wi-Fi? comScore doesn’t say, though it points out that the U.K. offers far fewer unlimited data plans and the networks tend to be slower than in the U.S., leading to more Wi-Fi usage there. Chart: Mobile and Wi-Fi Internet Connection Activity Across iOS and Android Smartphone Platforms in the U.S. and U.K. (Feb-2012) Description: A U.S. analysis of Wi-Fi and mobile Internet usage across unique smartphones on the iOS and Android platforms reveals that 71 percent of all unique iPhones used both mobile and Wi-Fi networks to connect to the Internet, while only 32 percent of unique Android mobile phones used both types of connections. A further analysis of this pattern of behavior in the U.K. shows consistent results, as 87 percent of unique iPhones used both mobile and Wi-Fi networks for web access compared to a lower 57 percent of Android phones.Source: comScore Device Essentials, Feb! ruary 20 12 Tags: 3G, Wi-Fi Author: comScore charts powered by iCharts That explains the shift in numbers between regions, but not the odd practice of Android users ditching Wi-Fi completely, something the majority of American Androids do, apparently. Why would anyone opt not to use Wi-Fi when it’s available, since accessing the web via mobile networks is often slower and eats into a user’s data plan? There are some possible reasons, the first being 4G LTE . The new ultra-fast connectivity offered by Verizon and AT&T (and Sprint later in the year) can often be faster than Wi-Fi if the conditions are right. Even though the connection eats up data even faster, sometimes speed is key. Second, connecting to Wi-Fi on an iPhone is a fairly straightforward process, but on an Android phone, it can vary widely. Accessing Wi-Fi on Android often involves finding the option in your wireless menu, and then choosing the right option among many. Many users probably just don’t bother. SEE ALSO: What's Sucking Your Android Phone's Battery Dry? Ads Finally, this could be a symptom of Android’s vast market share. Android became the dominant mobile platform by offering all kinds of phones at all kinds of prices to all kinds of customers. Non-technical people who just want a simple phone that does basic web browsing and email may not even know how to connect via Wi-Fi, or even if that’s an option (sometimes Android phones have Wi-Fi switched off out of the box). Consequently, they do all of their surfing on mobile networks. Why do you think Android users prefer mobile networks over Wi-Fi? Share your thoughts in the comments. More About: 4G , android , ComScore , iphone , LTE , mobile networking , trending , wi-fi For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mfarhanonline Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad Social Media reviews series maintain by Mayya
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