New WiFi usage figures suggest Android tablets are catching up in popularity with Apple’s iPad.
WiFi hotspot service The Cloud has released new figures comparing use of its network on January 8th 2014 – the first post-Christmas day on which the majority of UK is back at work and new devices have been registered – with the same day in 2013.
The stats show a 307% increase in Android tablets accessing the network while iPads grew “by a significantly lower 106%.”
The figures will help fuel the rivalry between fans of the two platforms.
Overall The Cloud says it saw a 114% increase in tablet devices accessing its WiFi network. The company says the Christmas and New Year shopping frenzy is “a notoriously busy time” for it thanks to partnerships with Westfield, M&S and WH Smiths.
Between December 27 and December 31, 2013 it connected 8.4 million WiFi sessions – a 3.5 times increase on the 2.4 million sessions during this period in 2012.
Vince Russell, Managing Director, The Cloud, said: “What’s stood out in the first few weeks of 2014 is the rise in Android tablets using our WiFi compared with this time last year.
“To us this highlights the rise of the tablet industry which was once all about the iPad, but other devices have now made their mark.
“The figures also show how we are becoming more tablet-obsessed as a nation. Since the start of 2014, the UK has spent over 39 million tablet-based minutes online. With everything from online banking to retail and healthcare being increasingly tablet-based, we expect usage to grow even more over the next 12 months.”