According to Millennial Media, in October 2010, Android reached 37 percent of its mobile ad impressions, a tie with Apple iOS impression levels across the company’s mobile advertising network. This represents a dramatic increase for ad impressions from the Google Android OS of 2182 percent since Q1 2010. Apple’s impressions increased by 32 percent, and Blackberry’s impressions increased by 243 percent. These figures reflect the predictions of several analysts that Apple iOS growth would level off while Android took a more dominant position in the marketplace.
In addition to the 74 percent share held by Android and Apple iOS, BlackBerry accounted for 20 percent of impressions, while Windows Mobile and Symbian came in at 2 percent each.
Millennial reported that ad requests from smart phones dominated at 61 percent, a 3 percent growth, whereas feature phones grew only 1 percent, to make up 28 percent of requests, and connected devices decreased to 11 percent. The top carriers were Verizon Wireless (19 percent), Sprint (14 percent), T-Mobile (13 percent) and AT&T (9 percent).
Meanwhile, Apple is on the verge of extending its iAd to the European marketplace and just named its first mobile advertising partner: Renault, which will focus on its Twizy electric vehicle. The Financial Times had reported that likely launch partners could include L'Oréal, Renault and/or Nestlé. The first mobile campaigns are expected to go live in early 2011. Though the iAd campaigns required U.S. advertisers to commit to a minimum $1 million, the Times reported that its European marketing partners’ campaigns are priced at a lower figure.
