• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, March 5, 2013

Android and iOS will maintain their iron grip on software powering smartphones in 2013, together accounting for 96% of the impressions on their mobile ad network. Each platform will pick up a percentage point from 2012, with Android driving 52% of impressions and iOS, 44%.
 
Jumptap, which forecast the smartphone issue, clearly doesn’t expect BlackBerry to make a comeback this year with its new BlackBerry 10 OS, predicting its share will slip from 5% to 2%. All other platforms on the network will account for the remaining 2% share of traffic.
 
In sharp contrast to BlackBerry, Samsung had a huge year in 2012, overtaking Nokia as the world’s top mobile phone maker. On the Jumptap network, it jumped from 42% to 56% share of handsets last year. The company doesn’t see the same level of growth in 2013, but expects Samsung’s share will rise to 60%, while no other brand will have more than 11%.
 
“Recent data show that the iPhone 5 has just pushed passed the Samsung Galaxy in terms of worldwide shipments, but the Galaxy continues to make Samsung the most popular of the Android brands,” stated the February edition of Jumptap’s Mobile Stat report. Advertisers should assume more than half their ads on the network will appear on Samsung devices.

Among device types, tablets are expected to continue gaining ground this year at the expense of smartphones and feature phones. Tablets’ share of traffic will grow to 29% from 18% in 2012 and just 7% the prior year. Smartphones will remain the dominant device, but their share will slip to 78% from 70%, while feature phones will fall to 2% from 4%.
 
In addition to its 2013 forecast, the Jumptap study also spotlighted three campaigns by Intel, Chevy Sonic and the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau as among the best run last year on its network. Intel promoted its Ultrabook with mobile ads driving to a branded Facebook game developed with “Angry Birds” creator Rovio. The campaign had a 2.5% click-through rate and 7 million fans played the Intel-branded Facebook game.
 
The company may be biased; it worked directly on each of the campaigns highlighted.