According to the latest quarterly report looking at electronic device use among “mobile workers” across the country, Apple’s iPhone has become the preferred smartphone, pulling ahead of the BlackBerry. The iPass Global Mobile Workforce Report defines a mobile worker as anyone who uses a mobile device—including laptops, smartphones, cellphones and tablets—to access networks for work purposes. The iPhone holds 45% of the smartphone market share, according to the report, up from 31% a year earlier. BlackBerry, which used to be the overwhelming favorite among professionals, held the No. 1 spot last year at this time with 35% of market share. “BlackBerry has not really fallen from the top spot … so much as other smartphones have grown faster,” the report says. BlackBerry’s market share has declined only slightly, to 32%. The study also says the median age of a mobile employee is 41, five years younger than the average a year ago. The iPass report was based on 2,300 responses from mobile workers at more than 1,100 businesses worldwide. Other findings include:
• 95% of mobile workers have a smartphone, up from 85% a year ago.
• 91% are using smartphones for work, up from 69%.
• 58% of companies provide smartphones to their employees, down from nearly two-thirds.
• 44% have tablets, up from 33% in the quarter previous.
• 42% leave their laptop at work and just use a smartphone or tablet in the evenings or on the weekends, at least occasionally.
You can see the full report here.
