A new Nielsen survey released Friday indicates that iPad users are consuming more web-based media content than users of smartphones, e-readers and other mobile gadgets. The media-tracking agency said the iPad trumps the iPhone and other mobile devices when it comes to print and video viewing — and a majority of iPad owners have downloaded and paid for content.
Nielsen found that 53 percent of iPad owners regularly access news content, versus 44 percent of iPhone users. It’s no great surprise that the iPad’s 10-inch screen gives the trendy device an obvious edge in such content. However, 51 percent of iPad users also said they regularly access music content, versus just 41 percent of iPhone owners.
The iPad’s big screen also seems to make the device a more appealing platform for viewing marketing materials. According to Nielsen, 39 percent of iPad users rated the ads displayed on their devices as “new and interesting,” versus just 19 percent of connected-device users overall. Additionally, iPad users were also the most likely to have made a purchase as a result of seeing an ad, the firm said.
An Early Adopter Hit
Nielsen reports that 63 percent of iPad users say they have downloaded paid apps, while only five percent have restricted downloads to free offerings. Surprisingly, 32 percent of iPad users have not downloaded any apps to their devices.
Apple said it sold 4.19 million iPads in its latest quarter — a significant increase from the 3.27 million units shipped during the device’s first three months of availability. Still, iPad sales fell “slightly below street consensus estimates” overall for the quarter, noted Piper Jaffray analyst Andrew Murphy.
Though other financial analysts were disappointed by Apple’s iPad numbers, 4.19 million iPads was “in line with our estimates,” Murphy said. “We are expecting 5.5 million iPads” to be sold in…