iOS users outspent shoppers on Android 5 to 1 this Christmas Day: IBM

IBM has shared the online shopping trends for December 25, Christmas Day in the US via its IBM digital analytics benchmark, revealing some interesting statistics related to Apple and Android platforms, apart from mobile and tablet shopping as a whole. According to IBM, raw data was analysed from approximately 800 retail sites across the US.

As per IBM, out of the total online sales in the US in the Christmas period, iOS accounted for five times the traffic of Android, driving 23 percent of total online sales traffic when compared to Android's 4.6 percent. The report also reveals that on average, iOS users spent $93.94 per purchase order, while Android users spent $48.10 per order, almost half.

Further, IBM also informs that the mobile traffic accounted for 48 percent of all online traffic on Christmas Eve, which was up 28.3 percent compared to the same period in 2012. Of the total online traffic, iOS accounted 32.6 percent compared to Android's 14.8 percent. Mobile sales were also strong in the period, approaching 29 percent of all online sales, up 40 percent from the same period in 2012.

In addition, the report also informs that smartphones (28.5 percent) drove more traffic than tablets (18.1 percent), which made it the browsing device of choice. However, in terms making the sale, the tablets contributed with 19.4 percent of all online sales and an average of $95.61 per order, compared to 9.3 percent on smartphones which averaged $85.11 per order.

We have already heard reports that claimed the smartphones powered by Google's Android OS have increased their global market share outnumbering other platforms. The International Data Corporation (IDC) reported earlier that Android's share of the smartphone market grew to 79.3 percent in the second quarter while that of iPhone slipped to 13.2 percent from 16.6 percent in the same three-month period (second quarter) last year.

Apple finally kicked off the festive season, with its 12 Days of Gifts promotion, via the app by the same name on Thursday. The promotion will be valid in all regions where the iTunes app store lists the app.

Apple would be giving away various digital content freebies, including apps, e-books, movies, music, and more. However, content would vary from region to region, depending on the availability of the product or service - in Apple's words, "Not all content is available in all countries."