Study examines average Android, iOS data use across Tier 1 carriers

How much data does the average smartphone user consume? It's a critical question for both users and the carriers that provide service--and it's a moving target. As users embrace a widening array of high-powered data services, carriers are concurrently working to increase the data speeds available to their subscribers. The result is a situation where users have more services at their fingertips available at faster speeds.

FierceWireless teamed with NPD Connected Intelligence to publish the results of the firm's SmartMeter surveying software. NPD's SmartMeter software was installed on around 1000 smartphones (participants are provided "incentives" to install the software on their phones). NPD for the past several months has tracked cellular data usage on Android phones, but recently added around 100 iPhones to its survey base. Special Report