New mobile metrics firm Ground Truth released data showing that US mobile data/Internet usage builds throughout the day, peaking in the evening at roughly 9pm:
Ground Truth found that in the month of April, 32 percent of daily page views occurred between 7:00 p.m. and midnight, with the highest volume occurring at 9:00 p.m., local time . . .
The figures from Ground Truth’s April census of 4.24 million Americans show that from 4 a.m. onwards, Mobile Internet usage (as measured in page view consumption) climbs steadily throughout the day, with usage intensifying after 6:00 p.m. and peaking at 9:00 p.m., when 7.2 percent of all page views occurred. Throughout the workday (9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.), an average of 54 percent of Mobile Internet users browse content, with workday usage heaviest around 4:00 p.m.
Assuming these data accurately reflect the broader usage patterns of US mobile subscribers (which is a reasonable assumption given the sample size) there are obvious advertising implications, around “day parting.” It would be interesting to discover whether smartphone and feature phone users’ habits parallel one another or whether they’re distinct.
My guess would be that it’s the latter, because smartphones enjoy higher levels of engagement and they are broader information and entertainment devices.