Social differences iPhone and Android confirmed geodata - BBC News

In a consumer society people primarily determine the things which he possesses. This simple truth confirmed the researchers made a map using the iPhone and devices on Android. On the example of the U.S. capital, they showed that the choice is dictated by the smartphone prosperity.

The study used data from public tweets sent indicating the geo-location data. Only by specialists of Gnip and MapBox were processed coordinates sending three billion tweets published from September 2011. The visual part of the project carried out well-known designer and artist Eric Fisher. On the created world map tweets sent from the iPhone, are marked in red, and with the Android-smartphone – green. For example, here is how the capital of the United States:

Tweets from iPhone (red dots) and Android (green) in Washington.
Click to enlarge.

not familiar with Washington observer card may be confused – if you believe it, in the west of the vast majority of residents are somehow iPhone, while in the east – Android. The fact is that in the east of the U.S. capital’s poorest areas inhabited predominantly African Americans, descendants of immigrants from Latin America, as well as immigrants. Geodata thus confirm the “inequality” of mobile platforms. By the way, with the release of “cheap iPhone”, which many analysts expected at the beginning of next year or even next fall, the situation may be much swap.

should be noted that in the U.S. the majority of smartphone owners pay for them when buying significantly less than in Russia – usually from 50 to 200, maximum – $ 300. The device, which is usually the real price is 2-3 times more subsidized by the network operator, who later “beats” investments for payment by the user of its services. In the two years under such contract has to pay half or two thousand dollars.

in the Russian capital, by the way, the map of mobile platforms is another:

Tweets from the iPhone and Android in Moscow. Click to enlarge.

Apparatus for Android in Moscow residents certainly no less than the iPhone, that’s only for sending their tweets, they seem to use is not as active. At a great distance Moscow looks almost completely red stain. Yes, and at higher magnification such blatant segregation, both in Washington, DC, is not noticeable. At the same time, the center of the city mostly all red, but on the outskirts of many markers with Android is not much less than with the iPhone.

addition to the geographical distribution of different smartphone platforms with the help of maps created by the researchers can estimate the Twitter activity of locals and tourists (map Locals and Tourists). Thus, in Moscow newcomers often tweet of the airports, the Red Square, and major shopping and exhibition centers.

Tweets sent to Moscow by locals (blue dots) and tourists (red).
Click to enlarge.

the way, before this method of specialists from Twitter recently applied for building a “tvitokart” of Europe and the world’s major cities, including Moscow.

Source: MapBox Blog