Analyst breaks down Facebook mobile surge

A new study of Facebook use by Enders Analysis' Benedict Evans has shown that 300 million Facebook users out of the total 800 million, or about 38 percent, are using the social network through mobile apps at least once a month. The figure is dominated by Android and iOS, which combined are about two thirds of the entire share at 204.8 million. Although 70 percent of BlackBerry owners use the Facebook app, it has half as many monthly users as Android, at 48.3 million.

Only about 50 million use Facebook's web interface on mobile. Microsoft's integration of some Facebook elements into Windows Phone wasn't leading to a disproportionate use of Microsoft's platform, which notched just 1.1 percent of monthly users.

The bias showed the importance of mobile for Facebook's bottom line as well as actual relevance of mobile platforms. Android and iOS were the only two platforms that had "traction," Evans said, where the others were either flat or on the decline.

Having such a large mobile base would also support Facebook's intention of making mobile the primary platform in 2012. It already has Android and iOS on a commmon app foundation where HTML5 is expected to play a central role. Ads will play a central part and could see much of the app library and content targeted at smartphones from 2012 on. [via The Next Web]

By Electronista Staff