One of the big problems with focusing on a broad metric like mobile platform market share is that it ignores some of the more important (and complex) questions about how these platforms are actually used.

For example, which customers are most valuable in terms of spending money?

According to IBM analytics, over Christmas U.S. iOS users drove 5x the total online sales of U.S. Android users — driving 23 percent of transactions versus 4.6 percent for Android.

On average, iOS users spent $93.94 per order compared to $48.10 for Android users: almost twice the figure. iOS also led the way in terms of overall traffic, with 32.6 percent vs. 14.8 percent for Android.

These figures over a strong counterpoint to the suggestion that Apple is being battered by Google when it comes to mobile operating systems.

While developers will ultimately prioritize whichever platform is most dominant, the not-insignificant matter of who is most likely to spend money is one that is not going to go unnoticed.

• SourceBusiness Insider