When the first generation of the iPad was launched a little more than a year ago, we couldn't have predicted that it would revolutionize the way we interact with the Internet. Today, however, its impact is widespread. A plethora of competing tablets have emerged, many e-readers are switching to touch-screen technology, and even several desktop computers are integrating this technology into their screens and operating systems. In a decade, the word "mouse" might come to only refer to the mammalian creature rather than a necessary navigational hardware component. Our fingers will do the clicking.
New statistics from comScore cement the viability of this trend. Half of the mobile market now uses mobile media. This means that half of those with cell phones now are accessing mobile web content. Incredibly, this number has risen 19% over the past year. As of August 2011, 6.8% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. While two thirds of this traffic is from smartphones, the tablet sector is quickly gaining momentum and accounts for much of the remaining third.
What might be the most interesting statistic in the pack, however, is that the iPad is now outstripping the iPhone in terms of web traffic. Apple IOS devices account for 58.5% of all mobile web traffic and of that 58.5%, iPads make up 46.8% of the traffic as compared to the iPhone's 42.6% share. This 4.2% may seem paltry, but it is truly remarkable that the iPad is competing with, and perhaps outshining, technology that was developed almost three and a half years before its inception.
What these numbers certainly point out is that mobile use is here to stay whether it be in terms of the iPhone, iPad, or another competing technology. How will your business adapt to this trend?