New Study: Most Emails Opened on Smartphones, with iOS taking the Lead

Smartphones and tablets have profoundly changed the way we communicate and work. In fact, recent studies confirm what you probably already suspect—that more people are opening their emails on smartphones rather than desktop as they go about their busy lives.

According to a recent study from email marketing platform Movable Ink, entitled “The Q3 2014 US Consumer Device Preference Report,” more emails are being opened on mobile devices rather than desktop and tablet. The study examines data from July 2014 to September 2014. Data was collected via Movable Ink’s agileEMAIL platform and reflects aggregate statistics across Movable Ink’s customer base.
Nearly half of emails are opened on smartphones (48.51%); desktop takes second place at 34.03% and tablet takes third place at 17.47%. [See Figure 1 below]

Figure 1 (Source: Movable Ink)

According to Movable Ink, email engagement via smartphones has been steadily rising throughout 2014. During the second quarter of 2014, 45% of emails were opened on smartphones, and this percentage rose to 48% in the third quarter. In turn, the rise of mobile has reduced desktop’s current engagement to 34%, which Moveable Ink says is the lowest since their current report began.

Figure 2 (Source: Movable Ink)

That’s not to say that desktop engagement is being completely written off. As Figure 2 above shows, the study also analyzed email opens based on time of day. While checking emails on mobile dominated “throughout the day,” it’s notable that the study singles out smartphone usage. Tablets only saw peak usage at night and on weekends, most likely because they’re used primarily for leisure activities. Desktop email engagement peaked during mid-morning hours, most likely because professionals check their emails during this time before they continue with other projects for the day.

What should also be taken into consideration is the type of emails people are receiving and how they choose to engage with them. The Movable Ink study noted that retail and media related emails were more likely to be opened on smartphones rather than desktop. However, for emails regarding travel, personal finance, and automotive services, emails were more likely to be opened on desktop, perhaps due to their complex nature or extra need for security [See Figure 3 below].

Figure 3 (Source: Movable Ink)

Surprisingly (although not explicitly stated), most email opens were done on iOS (43.1%) rather than Android (5%), despite the latter having more choices in the market.

Why are more emails being opened on iOS rather than Android? Share your insights in the Comments below.

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