Apple devices more likely to be used for in-flight Internet access
Airplane Wi-Fi service Gogo says that 84 percent of those who connect to the Internet in the air do so on iPads, iPods, and iPhones, while just 16 percent use devices running on Android.
New numbers by in-flight Wi-Fi service Gogo show that "Apple devices are still reigning above the clouds."
Maybe it's because Apple devices are more popular to use while traveling, or maybe it's because Android users are smart enough to download their in-flight entertainment before getting on an airplane?
Despite the reason why, Gogo's numbers are significant (see the infographic below). Eighty-four percent of in-flight Internet users are connecting with iOS vs. 16 percent with Android's operating system. Specifically for smartphones, the number is 73 percent using iPhones compared with 26 percent on Android devices.
While the difference between iOS and Android is vast, Android has increased its share since 2011 when 96 percent of people connected with iOS and 3.2 percent on Android.
All companies aside, another somewhat surprising detail in Gogo's numbers is that people use tablets more than any other device to connect to the Web while in the air. Thirty-five percent of people use tablets, while 33 percent use laptops, and 32 percent use smartphones. For comparison, a new report by Adobe shows that on the ground 84 percent of people connect with desktops, while 8 percent use tablets and 7 percent use smartphones.
Gogo's Wi-Fi service is on about 1,500 airplanes from Air Canada, Air Tran, Alaskan Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, United, U.S. Airways, and Virgin America. In September, Gogo raised the price of its in-flight Wi-Fi service in several aircrafts by starting to charge by the hour instead of offering one-time flight passes.
