Interpretation of Forrester iPhone Usage Data Needs a Closer Look

AppleInsider provides an interesting interpretation of some data from Forrester Research…

New study shows iPhone users to be in a class by themselves

There are really two separate points made in the article. We’ll take the second one presented first since it looks a bit simpler to interpret: Mobile Internet Access. The numbers presented in the table seem to clearly indicate that iPhone users use network data features such as text messages, email and other Internet related access more than non-iPhone smartphone and feature phone users. The monthly spend information ($86/month for iPhone users vs. $76/month for smartphone users and $66/month for feature phone users) may simply indicate that AT&T charges more for iPhone voice+data+texting services than other plans. I should say that I’m interpretng the “mobile phone” category as meaning feature phones. But, I am not certain this is the case.

The first item discussed by AppleInsider – As A Group, iPhone Owners Are Wealthier And Younger – requires a closer look at Forrester’s data though (more than provided by AppleInsider). The numbers there just don’t add up. For example the table shows that 53% of males have a mobile phone, 59% has a smartphone and 57% has an iPhone. That adds up to 169% without even considering the presumed 47% of males in the U.S. who do not have a mobile phone (216% if you add that group in). It also can’t be that 57% of the 53% of males who own a mobile phone own an iPhone since adding that to the 59% who own a smartphone (presumably non-iPhone) adds up to 116%.

I’m interpreting “mobile phone” to mean “feature phone”. But, even that doesn’t help make sense of the numbers. The one interpretation that may make some sense disposes of the notion that iPhone owners are wealthier and younger. This interpretation is that 53% of males in the U.S. own a mobile phone of some kind (smart or otherwise). 59% of of these phone owners have a smartphone of some kind. And 57% of the 59% of smartphone owners are iPhone owners. In simple numbers this would look something like this:

- 53 of 100 males owns a phone of some kind
- 31.27 of these 53 phone owners are smartphone owners
- 17.8 of these 31.27 smartphone owners own an iPhone

Even this number seems suspect though. Does Apple have a 17% marketshare of all adult males in the U.S.? Possible, but seems a bit high to me. Since this first table row needs clarification, so do the other comparison rows, IMHO.

I tend to believe AppleInsider’s interpretation. But, the numbers don’t make sense in isolation. You (I) would really need to look at Forrester’s full report to understand what they really found.

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