Report: Apple biggest loser in May mobile ad requests, Android gaining steadily

Mobile advertising firm Millennial Media released its May analysis for mobile devices on its network today. Among the many statistics was one consistent theme: Apple, while still the leader in all categories, was the biggest loser, with month-to-month decreases in market share of ad impressions. Meanwhile, Google’s Android operating system, along with some of its partners and devices, saw the biggest gains.

Apple remained the top device manufacturer for Millennial in May with 25 percent of impressions — but that was a 10 percentage point drop from its April share of 35 percent. HTC, a mobile device manufacturer now synonymous with Android devices, saw the biggest gain of 2.4 points since April — bringing it to the number four spot with 8.4 percent of impressions.

In terms of individual phones, the iPhone also remained the top device on the network, but it dropped nearly 7 percentage points since April. Google’s Nexus One, an Android phone built by HTC, saw the biggest gain of 1 point, raising it one spot on Millennial’s chart to the number three position. Millennial’s numbers don’t seem to include the popular Motorola Droid, which was supposedly trouncing the Nexus One in ad impressions according to a previous report from the mobile ad firm AdMob.

Apple saw its worst losses in the U.S. smartphone OS comparison chart. It still led the pack with 48 percent of impressions, but it dropped nearly 14 percentage points since April. Android rose by 5 percent and remained steady in third-place, while RIM held on to the number two spot with a 3-point gain. Globally, Android garnered 15 percentage points of market share, while Apple lost a whopping 33 points.

The iPad is Apple’s one shining star, thanks to its recent release — its impressions rose 160 percent since April.

In May, Millennial also started tracking mobile developer trends, which led to some interesting numbers. Of the developers on its network, 90 percent focus on a single platform. And of those dedicated to a single platform, 56 percent are developing for Apple’s iPhone OS, while 29 percent are developing for Android. This will be a particularly fascinating section to watch in the coming months.

Overall, it’s clear that Apple saw a bit of a slump in May, despite maintaining its lead in every category. With the release of iPhone 4 later this month though, Apple’s fortunes will likely turn around once again.

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Tags: ads, Android, iPhone