Reports Google’s Android generated more web traffic than Apple’s iPhone in the US last month are based on flawed data from a firm Google is in the process of buying, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The US newspaper says Google’s share of domestic web traffic is definitely on the up, but reports stating it outpaced Apple for the first time last month are just plain wrong, estimating instead that Apple still generates around two-times the traffic of Android.
It points out the flawed reports used data from mobile advertising firm AdMob, whose figures are often quoted as a barometer for web traffic, but who in fact quote details of the number of ad requests handled by its network.
AdMob claims Android devices generated 46% of all smartphone-based web traffic in the US in March, with iPhone accounting for 39%, according to blog site Computerworld.
However, the Chronicle points out that AdMob measures advertising requests, which doesn’t necessarily equate to web traffic, adding that the data could also be skewed by Google’s plan to buy the mobile advertising firm.
AdMob’s figures showed that Motorola’s Droid is the most popular of eleven devices that generated 96% of total Android page views last month. Motorola’s device accounted for 32% of page views compared to 19% generated by HTC’s Hero, which ranked in second place, CNN reports.
The firm also reported that over 50,000 Android applications have been downloaded to-date.