Facebook numbers revised: 44 million iOS app users, not 104 million

A few days ago, Facebook divulged the number of users of its mobile apps. The most impressive figure from their posting also turned out to be the most controversial -- according to Facebook, more people were using its Facebook for iPhone app (104 million) than the actual number of iOS devices out there (around 100 million units, inclusive of the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad).

Facebook has given Engadget revised figures: according to Facebook's spokesman, there's actually only 44 million Facebook for iPhone app users. Apparently, Facebook was initially counting as "active" any user who used the app at all. After excluding people who only "liked" or commented on stream stories, Facebook revised their "active monthly users" figure downward by 60 million.

44 million Facebook for iPhone users is still a substantial percentage of the iOS devices out there, but it's a number that makes far more sense than the earlier 104 million figure. Facebook certainly is ubiquitous, but it was stretching credibility to claim that virtually every iOS device out there was running its iOS app.