Android, iPad ads getting more clicks

Ad requests and impressions for mobile ad network Millennial Media show a surge for Android devices and the iPad. Meanwhile, Apple overall is maintaining its commanding lead but has slipped a bit lately.

In its August MobileMix report, Millennial Media found that ad requests (the number of times a mobile ad is clicked on) for Android rose 39 percent since July and have shot up 996 percent since January. Ad impressions (the number of times an ad is displayed) for Google's OS rose 7 percent from the prior month to help it capture 26 percent of all smartphone operating system impressions captured on the mobile ad network.

Motorola became the third-largest device maker on Millennial Media's network in terms of ad impressions, as the manufacturer's Droid handset hit No. 2 among the 20 most popular mobile phones with a 9 percent impression share. Overall, Android devices captured 6 of the top 20 spots.

The news was more mixed for Apple. Though the iPad's August ad requests climbed 76 percent from the prior month, Apple's ad requests remained relatively flat from July. In terms of ad impressions, Apple as a whole still leads the pack with a 28 percent share, though that's down from 35 percent the prior month and 25.5 percent in June.

The iPhone itself continues to be the dominant smartphone on the ad network with a 48 percent share of all impressions, but that number, too, has gradually trickled down, from 55 percent in July and 56 percent in June.

Ad requests for Research In Motion grew 16 percent in August from July and have risen 93 percent since the start of the year. RIM may be eyeing Millennial Media itself as a potential acquisition, as the BlackBerry maker is reportedly shopping around for its own ad network.