iPhone - Catalyst for the Mobile Internet?

We have just released the first of our Australian Mobile Internet Insight reports which has focused on the recently released (in Australia) iPhone 3G. In comparison to other mobile devices, iPhone users are browsing more pages, spending long online and consuming significantly more data that the rest of the mobile browsing population.

Here are some of the key statistics:

• The average page views per visit for the iPhone were 73% higher than other mobiles and 30% higher than desktop browsers. 
• iPhone browsing seemed to be proportionally greater in the morning, around 8am and did not exhibit as large an evening peak, between 9pm and 10pm, than the average mobile user.  
• iPhone users were found to be almost twenty times more likely to use desktop versions of web search engines than the average mobile user who is predominantly using the mobile version.

You can read the full press release and request a copy of the report here.

Although these number are very interesting, I believe the iPhone will have an even greater impact on the broader mobile internet for three main reasons:

1. The publicity that the iPhone has generated over the past 2 years has raised the profile of the mobile device as channel to the consumer and business which will drive investment in mobile content and mobile advertising.  This will create more compelling reasons for everybody (not just iPhone owners) to use the mobile internet.

2. The iPhone user interface is an order of magnitude easier to use than any other device on the market. Hopefully all of the other handset vendors are re-thinking UI design and we have already seen both HTC (TouchFLO 3D) and Sony Ericsson (Xperia X1) take some of these ideas on board. This will make the more advanced functionality of every mobile device more accessible and easier to use for everyone.

3. With so many iPhone users browsing the internet on their devices, what was traditionally a very 'geeky' thing to do has suddenly become cool. Both 'The Tipping Point' by Malcolm Gladwell and 'Crossing the Chasm' by Geoffrey Moore describe the importance of appropriate 'references' in the take up of trends and technologies.

We will be keeping our eyes on the iPhone in future reports along with other smartphones so be sure to go to our website and register your interest in receiving future editions.