According to a study by Chitika, mobile users are about half as likely to click on advertisements as non-mobile users. The research was based on a sample of 92 million impressions, of which only 1.3 million (1.5%) came from mobile platforms. The advertising network found that handsets only have a click-through rate of .48% – as compared to the steady .83% seen from non-mobile activity.
Although the booming smartphone market has greatly contributed to interest in mobile advertising, handset users are simply less receptive to ads. This doesn't come as a surprise, either. Given the nature of mobile devices, people are inclined to be on the move during use. They are more likely to briefly check their email or fetch directions than investigate an ad's offer.
The data shows that of the five top smartphone operating systems, Apple's iPhone has the lowest clickthrough rate at .30% – yet it had the most hits at 66%. Whether or not these figures include advertisements in apps is not stated.