Gemius analysed the percentage of hits from Polish internet users of Apple iPhones and Apple iPads. The analysis covered the period from January 2013 to July 2016. 

iHits account for one fifth of online traffic

In recent years, users of mobile devices from the Cupertino giant made for around one fifth of the annual online hits in Poland. This percentage was highest in 2014 – with an annual average of 23.6 per cent for both devices – after which it gradually decreased each year, reaching an average of 20.8 per cent for the first seven months of 2016.

iPad down, iPhone up

As shown by the Gemius data, there has been a clear downward trend in recent years for hits generated from iPads, which are used less frequently than three years ago. Between 2013 and 2015, the average annual percentage of hits made from these devices dropped by almost 6.5 per cent – from 15.6 per cent in 2013 to 9.1 per cent in 2015. The average percentage of hits made from iPads grew by 6.6 per cent during the first seven months of 2016.

‘The market for tablets around the world is undergoing some kind of identity crisis – how are these devices meant to be used? Should you use tablets for work? For reading papers and comics? To watch films? Following the original enchantment, customers are now less inclined to choose these devices and this is reflected in a decline in viewership from iPads,’ explains Dariusz Jemielniak, an expert from Kozminski University. ‘Another significant factor is the rise of the phablet – a large telephone the size of a small tablet – as well as the growing number of really successful tablets based on Android, whether the Galaxy Tab series, or the niche but finely crafted Pixel. Added to this is the offensive of Windows tablets, which admittedly have fewer applications and less convenient UI, but allow you to use exactly the same applications as PCs,’ adds Jemielniak.

Meanwhile, the Gemius data shows that hits made from iPhones are increasing. Over the last four years, this indicator has risen by almost 6 per cent – from 7.8 per cent for the average hits made in 2013, to 13 per cent for 2015. The average percentage of mobile hits from iPhones for the first seven months of 2016 is 14.2.

‘In my opinion, the rise in hits from iPhones can be interpreted as a symptom of the increasing wealth of Polish society and a “catching up” with the West – in Poland, iPhones are still riding the wave; however, in the USA, while they still account for nearly half of the phones sold, they are clearly already losing popularity – there has been a 16 per cent decline in sales, while Apple's stock market value has fallen by several per cent. Another important fact is that the phone market is full of models that exceed the iPhone in terms of functionality, are on a par in terms of production quality, and are also much cheaper. In addition to the popular bulk lines of Samsung or HTC, there are also very robust alternative proposals, even in the context of the Nexus brand – designed by Google, and made by different manufacturers – along with OnePlus and Xiaomi. It is to be expected that this trend will endure, in Poland too, if Apple is not able to offer any real innovation, which has now been an issue for several years,’ explains Jemielniak.

The analysis included traffic on domestic websites made via Apple brand mobile devices – the iPhone and iPad.