Study: iPhone users are most connected at 30,000 feet

ITASCA — There might be more Android devices in the market, but when it comes to staying connected at 30,000 feet, iPhone users reign supreme, according to airline Wi-Fi provider Gogo.

Apple iPhone users account for 65 percent of mobile users accessing Gogo’s Wi-Fi service in air, while Android users account for just 12 percent.  If you add travelers connecting using their iPod touch, Apple’s iOS system accounts for 80 percent of the mobile travelers connecting to Gogo’s Wi-Fi service.

BlackBerry users account for just 6 percent, while Windows and all other devices make up the remaining 2 percent of users.

“Many smartphone users simply aren’t aware that you can turn your phone service off on a Gogo equipped plane, yet still access the Internet through a Wi-Fi enabled mobile device and surf the Web, send email and access most of the features of your smartphone aside from making a phone call,” said Ash ElDifrawi, Gogo’s chief marketing officer.  “It’s clear that iPhone users are ahead of the curve in understanding those capabilities, but more and more people are starting to discover how to connect using their smartphone on a plane.”

According to recent reports, the number of smartphones in the market now outpaces traditional cellphones.  For the vast majority of those smartphone users, accessing the Web or email is critical.

“As the number of smartphone users continues to skyrocket, we’d expect that the number of passengers using their mobile devices to access the Internet in air will also continue to grow,” added ElDifrawi.  “As we strive to make Gogo everyone’s favorite part of flying, we will make efforts to assure that mobile passengers have a unique set of experiences that are tailor made for the mobile audience.”