iPhone 6 Plus Owners Use Twice as Much Data as iPhone 6 Owners

There's a new mobile analytics report out from Citrix [PDF] and it's filled with interesting data on mobile usage, including a tidbit that suggests iPhone 6 Plus owners use far more data than other iPhone owners.

People who own the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus consume twice as much data as people who own the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus data usage is 10 times higher than data usage on the 3.5-inch iPhone 3GS. That last statistic isn't surprising -- along with a small screen, the iPhone 3GS is much slower with hardware that's almost six years old.

iphone6data
Citrix suggests that the higher iPhone 6 Plus data usage is due to its users treating it like a tablet, consuming more media like streaming movies on the device.

iPhone 6 Plus subscribers generate the most data volume, double that of an iPhone 6. This increase impacts subscribers when choosing a new device -- be careful to select a data plan that matches your super-sized screen.

Clearly the phablet sized iPhone 6 Plus shows data usage patterns more akin to tablet usage. For mobile operators, this increase provides an opportunity to shift subscriber Wi-Fi usage towards mobile networks.

Other details covering all smartphone usage (not just iOS) suggest that interest in mobile health apps is on the rise, with 78 percent of mobile health app users using fitness apps. Sports video watching on mobile devices is up from 21% in Q3 2014 to 50% in Q1 2015.

The report also has an enterprise section, which confirms that iOS is still the dominant mobile platform. iOS devices are responsible for 64 percent of devices managed in the enterprise, compared to 27 percent for Android and 9 percent for Windows Mobile.

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Top Rated Comments

EricMR Avatar
136 months ago
cause and effect

It may be that heavy data users are more likely to want a larger iPhone. In other words, they're not using more data because they have a larger phone, they're buying a larger phone because they use more data (watching videos, etc.).
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
advancewarsbest Avatar
136 months ago
So the better it is for using the more it gets used, got it!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canesalato Avatar
136 months ago
Safari + 1gb of RAM + 1080p display (downscaled from a much higher resolution) = more tab reloading :p
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tooloud10 Avatar
136 months ago
I call bullocks. I've consistently used the same amount of data (3-4 GB a month) on my 6+ as I have with my iPhone 5 (4, 3G, and 2G as well). I can't be in the minority on this one either.

Why can't you be in the minority?

FWIW, I definitely use more data on my 6+ than I did on my previous iPhone 5.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lordofthereef Avatar
136 months ago
It's because of the rampant page reloads in safari!

huehuehuehuehue
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
paulsdenton Avatar
136 months ago
This rings true for me; the screen is so much more readable I don't reach for the iPad anywhere near as much. I just stay on the 6 plus.

In this I am sure I am not unusual.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)