AdMob splits up iPhone and iPod Touch crowds, finds iPhone users older, richer

The audience for Apple smartphones is apparently now so big it has to be split into its constituent parts: iPhone users and iPod Touch users. AdMob opened its advertising network to mobile analyst comScore, who performed a study on the differences between the two audiences. comScore reckons the two are distinct enough that media planners should treat them differently.
The research focused on the demographics and behavior of iPhone and iPod touch users in the US.

Key findings:

• On average, iPhone users are older the touch users. In total, 74% of iPhone users are over the age of 25, compared to 31% of iPod touch users. 69% of touch users are 13-24 years old - where only a quarter of iPhone users are that age. 31% of iPhone users are 35-49, which is only 12% of touch users.
• iPhone users have higher incomes - although that’s in line with their age demographic. 78% of iPhone users have an annual household income of at least $25,000, compared to only 66% of iPod touch users.
• Again due to the age demographic, iPhone users are more likely to have children than touch users: with 46% of iPhone users having children compared to 28% of touch users.
• In the next six months, iPhone users plan to purchase clothing (57%), entertainment (47%), and travel (45%), while iPod touch users plan to purchase clothing (61%), entertainment (53%), and cell phones (36%).
• 50% of both iPhone and iPod touch users use the mobile Web more frequently than they read printed newspapers.
• Over 40% reported using the mobile Internet more often than the on-line Internet.

From the release:

“This research highlights how important it is for marketers to understand the mobile landscape and the characteristics of the users of a particular platform or mobile device,” said Loftlon Worth, vice president, comScore. “Putting a little extra effort into the planning process can help a mobile campaign be significantly more successful.”

What we think?

That pretty much syncs up with my experience of the devices anyway. I bought myself and iPod touch when they came out because I was too poor to afford an iPhone! This kind of research really is worth doing especially for advertisers. The iPod touch is a significant device when it comes to mobile web browsing, and this kind of info is very important for planners and buyers.