IPhone 4S users are using twice as much data as iPhone 4 users and three times as much as iPhone 3G users – and it’s all because of Siri, apparently.
After examining the habits of smartphone and mobile device users, network management software vendor Arieso says users of Apple’s latest smartphone are the hungriest data consumers of all.
While Siri’s reported to be more data-efficient at making queries than your average user, one presumes it’s just too tempting to ask her unneccessary questions. It’s a salutary warning for anybody seeing their data usage creeping up and up.
There’s a growing divide between the heaviest data users and the rest, says the company, with just one percent of all users now accounting for a staggering half of all downlink data.
“The introduction of increasingly sophisticated devices, coupled with growing consumer demand, is creating unrelenting pressure on mobile networks. The capacity crunch is still a very real threat for mobile operators, and it looks set to only get harder in 2012,” says Michael Flanagan, CTO of Arieso.
“The mobile industry needs new investment and new approaches to boost network performance and manage the customer experience.”
When it comes to the uplink, HTC Desire S users are the most prolific users, typically uploading 3.23 times as much data as users of the iPhone 3G, the benchmark used for the study. IPhone 4G users trali a little here, at 3.20 times as much data uploaded.
Mobile operators need to plan for the future as data rates rocket, says Flanagan.
“Despite stark industry warnings, mobile operators are still playing ‘Guess Who?’ with their subscribers,” he says.
“Without adequately preparing networks to support the new generation of smart devices, operators risk spiralling and misplaced operational expenditure and delivering a sub-par quality of experience to customers. It’s critical that operators redouble their efforts to limit the impact of this inevitable squeeze.”
