Android does best in low-pop US states

Android phones have better sales than iPhones only in those US states where AT&T doesn't have good 3G coverage, Myxer suggested in a new study today. Tracking a million-plus user base, the mobile trend firm notes that Android is only the dominant smartphone platform in states like Arizona, Montana and the Dakotas, all areas where AT&T's service map is spare for GSM and especially 3G. A few states are considered neutral, particularly Colorado, Kansas and Missouri in the center of the country as well as South Carolina and Virginia.

One of Verizon's smaller but significant advantages in maintaining its subscriber lead over AT&T has been its 3G service, which covers virtually all of its voice area and has broad reach over the desert and prairie states where AT&T has little presence.

The researchers also noticed unusual gender and age splits among Android owners. Despite Verizon's ultra-masculine Droid marketing, only slightly more men (57 percent) use the Android flagship than do women (43 percent). Only the Nexus One has such a high concentration at 75 percent, Myxer said.

The study actually suggests just the opposite of Android's stereotype as every other Android phone outside of these two was used mostly by women. Female share was especially high for T-Mobile's myTouch 3G and Samsung Behold II, where two thirds of users were women. The gender was also consistently more likely to download content.

Age was less surprising as Nexus One owners are dominated by people over age 25. The balance in age roughly evens out at devices like the Droid, Droid Eris and Behold II, and skews towards a younger audience with T-Mobile phones like the Cliq, G1 and myTouch 3G.

No data has been given as to the gender or age biases for the iPhone.

By Electronista Staff