Apple's iOS beats Android in Christmas shopping battle

Here's one category where Android is still no match for Apple Inc: Mobile shopping.

On Christmas day, Apple's iOS devices were used to make 23 per cent of all e-commerce orders, according to a report from International Business Machines (IBM). Phones and tablets running Google's Android, meanwhile, only accounted for 4.6 per cent. 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 per cent of internet sales, up 40 per cent 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 and other top manufacturers, accounted for 81 per cent of smartphone shipments last quarter, according to International Data Corporation. Apple had a 13 per cent share of the market.

Pinterest and Facebook also helped drive online shopping on Christmas, IBM found. Customers referred to sales through Pinterest, an internet-scrapbooking start-up, 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.