Even before Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) launched the big-screen iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, analysts had predicted that these devices would eat into the iPad sales. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were expected to assume many of the functions of the iPad, giving users fewer reasons turn to their tablets. More than two months after the launch, we now have some concrete data suggesting that the new iPhones are indeed changing reading habits of users.
Users prefer the new iPhones over iPad
According to the popular save-for-later reading and video service Pocket, the new iPhone users spend a lot more time reading on their iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, even if they own an iPad. Pocket users save millions of articles, videos and other items every day. Pocket conducted this study by using more than 2 million “opens,” of videos and web articles. It compared behavior of users who previously owned an iPhone 5 or 5S and upgraded to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. At the same time, these people used an iPad.
So, what changes did Pocket observe in user behavior before and after the upgrade? Prior to the switch, the iPhone 5S users spent 55% of their reading time on the smartphone and 45% on the iPad. But those who upgraded to the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 now spend 72% of their reading time on the device. Only 28% of their reading time is spent on the iPad.
iPhone 6 Plus users open 65% more articles and videos
The shift is even more drastic for users who upgraded to the iPhone 6 Plus. The 5.5-inch phablet users spend a whopping 80% of their reading time on the iPhone 6 Plus, while the time spent on iPad shrank to just 20%. Pocket said that the iPhone 6 Plus users opened 65% more items on their smartphones than they did on the iPhone 5 or 5S. Meanwhile, the iPhone 6 users now open 33% more videos and articles inside Pocket than they did with the previous generation iPhone.
However, the study revealed that users prefer the iPad at night, regardless of which iPhone they own. Between 9:00 p.m. to late midnight, most people use the iPad for bedtime reading. Though the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will affect the iPad sales, Apple CEO Tim Cook is happy with it as the iPhones have much higher profit margins than the iPad.
