Pocket: iPhone 6 Plus Owners Consume More Content, Use iPad Less

Getting the obvious out of the way: the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models both have bigger displays than previous models. In my own experience, I’ve watched a lot more video on my iPhone 6 Plus than I did on my 5S. I actually wound up doing away with my iPad mini 2 in favor of a larger iPad, as the larger phone better fit my own lifestyle than the smaller tablet did. And even with the larger iPad, I find myself using my iPhone 6 Plus a whole lot more.

But that’s just me. The question is, does that trend apply to all who have moved on to Apple’s newer, larger smartphones?

According to Pocket, the answer is yes. The company behind the app studied usage, looking at content consumption inside Pocket in relation to the model of iPhone its users have. It turns out that those on the 6 and 6 Plus models are reading more articles and watching more videos than ever before.

From the company’s blog:

We saw that users with both an iPhone and an iPad consumed significantly more content as soon as they upgraded to an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. Those with the 6 now open 33% more articles and videos inside Pocket than they did with a 5/5S, and those with the 6 Plus open 65% more items than they did with a smaller phone.

It seems the term “phablet” is more than just a clever way to describe a larger smartphone — users are actually doing more on these bigger devices, and according to Pocket’s data, they’re actually using their iPads less than they were when owning smaller iPhones.

So what does this mean for Apple? The company, in the eyes of many, treated the iPad mini as an afterthought this year. The 2014 model received minor updates and did not keep pace with the more powerful iPad Air 2. And the iPad line as a whole isn’t selling as strongly as it has in the past few years. Did Apple anticipate the success of its larger iPhones, and perhaps, the downslide it would experience on the iPad front?

We can’t know that for certain. And we don’t know if this trend will continue; every year, Apple seems to reinvent its flagship products, and what’s underwhelming one year could become a must-have item the next. As far as iPads go, I’m super interested in seeing what Apple rolls out next year. It certainly won’t let the slowdown continue. It can’t.

If you’re an iPad owner with an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, what’s your usage like?