AdMob, a mobile advertising network, has announced the results of a survey of consumer usage and attitudes across the iPhone, Android and webOS application platforms in its January 2010 "AdMob Mobile Metrics Report."

The survey found that consumers on the iPhone and Android platforms continue to be actively engaged with applications. Consumers who use these devices showed remarkably similar activity levels -- downloading approximately the same total number of applications and spending approximately the same amount of time using them. However, iPhone users continue to download more paid applications, with 50% of users purchasing at least one paid application a month compared to 21% of Android users.

The survey also included consumers on webOS devices and found that while they were active, they downloaded fewer paid and free applications. The mobile Internet device category has grown rapidly; in July 2009 approximately 12% of requests in AdMob’s network came from these non-phone devices compared to approximately 17% in January 2010. The survey asked consumers if they currently own a mobile Internet device or intend to purchase one in the next six months. iPhone users showed the highest level of interest in purchasing an iPad, at 16 %, compared to 11% of webOS users and only 6% of Android users. Approximately the same percentage of Android users were interested in purchasing the Amazon Kindle as were interested in purchasing the iPad.

Highlights from the survey and the January 2010 AdMob Mobile Metrics Report include:

° 91% of iPhone users and 88% of iPod touch users would recommend their device, compared to 84 percent of Android users and 69% of webOS users.

° iPod touch owners download an average of 12 applications a month, 37% more than iPhone and Android users who download approximately nine new apps. webOS users downloaded an average of six applications per month.

° iPod touch users spent an average of 100 minutes per day using applications. webOS users spent an average of 87 minutes per day, followed by Android users at 80 minutes and iPhone users at 79 minutes per day.

° 73%of Android users are male, compared to only 56% of iPhone OS users. The average iPhone user is 14 years older than the average iPod touch user of which 78% are below the age of 24.

° The iPhone represented 47%of US smartphone usage in AdMob’s network in January 2010, followed by Android, RIM and webOS devices at 39, seven, and three percent, respectively.

AdMob first ran this survey in August 2009 and again six months later, in February 2010. The survey was conducted with 960 respondents over a two week period, spanning consumers on Android, iPhone, iPod touch and webOS devices on the more than 15,000 mobile Web sites and applications in AdMob’s network in February 2010. The survey didn't include the RIM platform as AdMob does not currently serve ads into Blackberry applications. See additional detail on the methodology of the report at http://metrics.admob.com/2009/10/placing-admob-metrics-in-context/.

AdMob stores and analyzes handset and operator data from every ad request in its network of more than 15,000 mobile Web sites and applications to optimize ad serving. Each month, the AdMob Mobile Metrics Report aggregates this data to provide insights into major trends in the mobile ecosystem.