Apple continued to be the leader in mobile ad revenue by a significant margin in 2014, based on the latest insights from Opera Mediaworks (via TechCrunch). According to the report, iOS captured 51.67% of ad revenue and 27.18% of traffic during the fourth quarter to close out the year as the leader in dollars earned. Meanwhile, Android trailed in second in revenue with a 41.20% share despite generating an all-time high in ad impressions and commanding 62.69% of traffic among mobile operating systems.

iOS Android Ad Revenue 2014

Android may have expanded and taken the lead in traffic, but iOS retained its solid lead for revenue generation and monetization. Apple’s tenacious grip on revenue generation is driven to a large extent by its favorable market position in western markets, such as the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. In these markets, rich media and video advertising are more common and the high volume of mobile application usage (vs. mobile browsing) drives a robust user acquisition market.

The mobile advertising market, much like the overall smartphone industry, is largely a two-horse race between iOS and Android. BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows each accounted for around 1% or less in traffic and revenue during the fourth quarter, while all other smaller mobile platforms grouped together held a 5.55% share of traffic and 5.89% share of revenue. Social networking, games, and music, video and media lead the way in traffic volume and revenue generation.

Tags: Android, iOS

Top Rated Comments

Pakaku Avatar
136 months ago
Using iOS 6 and 7. I WILL NEVER put the trash that iOS 8 is on any of my devices.

Someone didn't read the article.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Watabou Avatar
136 months ago
Oh my god! Windows OS at 0.19%!!!!!!!!! Hahahahaha! They seriously need to stop. Just stop. That's basically 2/1000th of the market. Ouch. And that appears to account for their line of Surface tablets.

Just goes to show how RIGHT this guy was: http://venturebeat.com/2011/04/07/windows-phone-beat-iphon/#. Amazing prediction. Unbelievable.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fermat-au Avatar
136 months ago
People should have a look at the original report (http://operamediaworks.com/insights/sma_Q4_2014.html) there are many more interesting graphs.

During 2014 Android grow, and iOS dropped, in terms of both impressions and revenue as a percentage.

-


The US is still the number one in terms of impression, but in 2014 they dropped below 50%, the growth region is APAC (China, India etc)


We need to remember that all of these number are percentages, not absolutes. I would expect absolute impress and revenue to have increased in almost all region for all OSs.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2457282 Avatar
136 months ago
The iPad numbers compared to the Android tablet numbers are very interesting.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kdarling Avatar
136 months ago
Ads seen while viewing media cost more

Reading the report...

The upshot is that Android users do more social apps, whereas iOS users do more media viewing/listening.

And the media category costs more for an ad, which is what this is about.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheAppleFairy Avatar
136 months ago
Using iOS 6 and 7. I WILL NEVER put the trash that iOS 8 is on any of my devices.

Good for you.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Redesigned Dynamic Island

Monday July 7, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, according to a post today from Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked some information regarding future Apple products in the past. The account did not share any specific details about the alleged changes that are ...