*70 Percent of Mobile Users “Checking-In” from an Android or Apple Phone*
*Check-In Service Users Demonstrate Strong Propensity for Mobile Media Usage*
RESTON, VA, May 12, 2011 – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the results from a study of 
mobile social networking check-in service users based on data from its comScore MobiLens service. The study found that 16.7 million U.S. mobile subscribers used location-based “check-in” services on their phones in March 2011, representing 7.1 percent of the entire mobile population. 12.7 million check-in users did so on a smartphone, representing 17.6 percent of the smartphone population. The study also found that check-in service users showed a high propensity for mobile media usage, including accessing retail sites and shopping guides, and displayed other characteristics of early adopters, including a stronger likelihood of owning a tablet device and accessing tech news, when compared to the average smartphone user.
“Although still in their relative infancy, location-based mobile check-in services are seeing rather impressive adoption among smartphone users,” said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile. “The ability to interact with consumers on this micro-local level through special offers, deals and other incentives provides brands with the real-time opportunity to engage consumers through their mobile device.”
18-34 Year Olds Account for Nearly 60 Percent of Check-In Service Users
Check-in service users, defined as those accessing services such as Facebook Places, Foursquare and Gowalla, had heavy skews toward 18-24 year olds (26.0 percent) and 25-34 year olds (32.5 percent) in relation to both the total mobile audience and the overall smartphone audience. They were more likely to be full-time students (23.3 percent) when compared with total mobile (14.6 percent) or overall smartphone users (16.5 percent). Nearly half (46.4 percent) of check-in users were employed full time, slightly less than the percentage of smartphone users who were employed full time (53.3 percent). Both check-in service and smartphone users were more likely to be employed full time than overall mobile users (38.9 percent).
| Demographic Profile for Check-In Service Users 3 Month Avg. Ending Mar. 2011 Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens |
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| % of Total Mobile Users | % of Smartphone Users | % of Check-In Service Users | |
| Total Audience: 13+ yrs old [Age] | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Male | 48.0% | 53.9% | 49.2% |
| Female | 52.0% | 46.1% | 50.8% |
| Age: 13-17 | 7.1% | 6.0% | 8.3% |
| Age: 18-24 | 12.5% | 17.5% | 26.0% |
| Age: 25-34 | 17.6% | 27.3% | 32.5% |
| Age: 35-44 | 16.8% | 21.8% | 18.7% |
| Age: 45-54 | 17.8% | 15.0% | 9.7% |
| Age: 55-64 | 14.1% | 7.8% | 3.0% |
| Age: 65+ | 14.0% | 4.7% | 1.7% |
| Employed full time | 38.9% | 53.3% | 46.6% |
| Employed part time | 10.5% | 9.0% | 10.2% |
| Not employed but not retired | 15.1% | 12.5% | 13.5% |
| Full-time student | 14.6% | 16.5% | 23.3% |
| Retired or Other | 20.9% | 8.8% | 6.3% |
3 in 4 Users “Checking In” from a Smartphone Device
Of the 16.7 million people using check-in services on their mobile devices, 12.7 million (76.3 percent) did so via a smartphone device. Android accounted for the largest share of check-in service users with 36.6 percent checking-in from an Android device, while 33.7 percent of users checked in from an iPhone, with Apple having the highest representation relative to its percentage of the total smartphone market (Index of 132). RIM accounted for 22 percent of check-in service users, while Microsoft, Palm and Symbian each accounted for less than 5 percent.
| Check-In Service Users by Smartphone Platform 3 Month Avg. Ending Mar. 2011 Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens |
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| % of Smartphone Users | % of Check-In Service Users | Index | |
| Total Smartphone Audience: 13+ yrs old | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100 |
| Android | 34.7% | 36.6% | 105 |
| RIM | 27.1% | 22.0% | 81 |
| Apple | 25.5% | 33.7% | 132 |
| Microsoft | 7.5% | 4.3% | 57 |
| Palm | 2.8% | 2.0% | 72 |
| Symbian | 2.3% | 1.2% | 51 |
Index = % of Check-In Service Users /% of Smartphone Users x 100;
Index of 100 indicates average representation
Mobile Check-In Service Users Display Strong Propensity for Mobile Media Usage
When compared with an average smartphone owner, social networking check-in users were more likely to access mobile media across a majority of content categories. More than 95 percent of check-in service users used their mobile browser or applications. Nearly 62 percent accessed news. Check-in user behavior was also consistent with that of traditional early adopters, with 40.3 percent of users accessing tech news and 28.2 percent owning a media tablet, both significantly higher than average.
Check-in service users also showed a high propensity for accessing retail-related destinations on their mobile devices. Nearly one-third of users accessed online retail sites on their mobiles, while one-fourth accessed shopping guides. Check-in service users were also more likely to be exposed to mobile advertising, with nearly 40 percent recalling seeing a web or app ad during the month, compared to just 27.5 percent of smartphone users.
| Smartphone Check-In Service Users by Access of Select Mobile Categories 3 Month Avg. Ending Mar. 2011 Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens |
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| % of Smartphone Users | % of Check-In Service Users | Index | |
| Total Audience: 13+ yrs old | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100 |
| Used application | 85.0% | 97.5% | 115 |
| Used browser | 82.3% | 96.3% | 117 |
| Accessed news | 47.2% | 61.9% | 131 |
| Accessed restaurant information | 27.6% | 45.9% | 166 |
| Accessed tech news | 27.1% | 40.3% | 149 |
| Recall seeing web/app ads | 27.5% | 38.7% | 141 |
| Accessed online retail | 17.9% | 32.6% | 182 |
| Media tablet user | 19.6% | 28.2% | 144 |
| Accessed shopping guides | 14.3% | 25.0% | 176 |
| Accessed travel service | 11.8% | 22.0% | 186 |
Index = % of Check-In Service Users /% of Smartphone Users x 100;
Index of 100 indicates average representation
*Source: comScore