Nielsen: 98 percent of iPhone subscribers use mobile data

Ninety-eight percent of iPhone subscribers use at least one mobile data service according to market research firm The Nielsen Company's Q3 2008 U.S. iPhone Executive Overview. Seventy percent of iPhone users listen to audio tracks on their device, with 39 percent downloading music directly to the handset--66 percent of users download software and applications, and 35 percent screen video content, which Nielsen says makes them seven times as likely as the typical mobile subscriber. Of course, if 98 percent of iPhone users have embraced mobile data services, that means 2 percent of the iPhone subscriber population does nothing more than make voice calls on the device.

Nielsen reports 43 percent of iPhone users rack up a monthly bill in excess of $100, compared to 20 percent of the total mobile subscriber population--13 percent of iPhone users look to their employers to pay their wireless bill, compared to 7 percent of all subscribers. Among consumers who purchased a new handset between January and September, 11 percent considered an iPhone, and 21 percent of them made the leap to the Apple device. As of the third quarter, 89 percent of consumers who acquired an iPhone within the previous six months were highly satisfied with their purchase, compared to an industry average of 71 percent of new handset owners.

In all there are now 3.6 million mobile subscribers ages 13 and up actively using the iPhone, Nielsen notes. Adults ages 35 to 54 make up the majority of iPhone users at 34 percent, while Hispanic subscribers represent a larger portion of the iPhone audience (21 percent) than of the total U.S. subscriber audience (13 percent). In addition, 44 percent of iPhone subscribers report a household income in excess of $100,000, compared to 22 percent of the overall subscriber population.

For more on Nielsen's iPhone subscriber metrics:
- read this release

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