Apple’s IOS defeats in battle of Christmas shopping

On Christmas day, Apple’s iOS devices were used to make 23 percent of all e-commerce orders, a report from the International Business Machines Corp said. According to a report published on December 27, 2013 by the bloomberg website, here’s one category where Android is still no match for Apple Inc. (AAPL): mobile shopping. Phones and tablets running Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android, meanwhile, only accounted for 4.6 percent. IOS customers also spent $93.94 per order, almost twice the amount of the average Android shopper. Mobile devices in general have emerged as a more common way to buy things online, gaining ground on personal computers. They were used for almost 29 percent of Internet sales, up 40 percent from 2012, IBM found. Smartphones were more popular for browsing, while consumers spent more money when using tablets. Apple’s iPhone and iPad have maintained their edge as shopping tools, even as Android products sell in far greater numbers. Android, which is used by Samsung Electronics Co. and other top manufacturers, accounted for 81 percent of smartphone shipments last quarter, according to IDC. Apple had 13 percent of the market. Pinterest Inc. and Facebook Inc. also helped drive online shopping on Christmas, IBM found. Customers referred to sales through Pinterest, an Internet-scrapbooking startup, spent almost $87 per order, while those referred through Facebook spent $72. Still, customers that came from Facebook were four times more likely to make a purchase than the Pinterest users, possibly because they trust their Facebook friends more, according to the report.