Android Grows, But Apple Still Dominates Airport Wi-Fi Networks

If you’re in an airport and using the public Wi-Fi, chances are you are reading this post on your smartphone or tablet. And for 83 per cent of you, this mobile device is either an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

According to data compiled by Boingo Wireless, the company behind 60 airport hotspots and over 400,000 public hotspots worldwide, a dwindling number of users (41 per cent) pull out their laptop at public hotspots, while most (59 per cent) use a smartphone or a tablet.

This is a complete 180 from 2008 when the majority of people (88.5 per cent) were rocking laptops and a small minority (11 per cent) were cruising the internet using a mobile device.

And it’s iOS that rules the mobile roost on Boingo’s wireless network. Yes, the data shows that Android devices have tripled in number over the last year, but its 11 per cent share pales in comparison to the 83 per cent commanded by the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

So what are people doing with their mobile devices on these public Wi-Fi hotspots? Boingo thinks most people are streaming music and video because data usage by mobile devices is skyrocketing. In 2011, users are pulling down 0.89MB of data per minute, up from a measly 0.37 MB in 2009. A little less than a megabyte per minute is not a lot, but it may be enough to secretly watch Rebecca Black on your iPhone while you wait for your plane. [Boingo Wireless]


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