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It looks like Google ended 2009 with a bang as far as its Android OS is concerned. New metrics from Net Applications indicate that the Android mobile web browser grew its market share 54.8% in the last two months of 2009, which suggests that the Android OS has likewise increased its market share by a good margin. The solid double-digit growth of the Android browser completely overshadows increases made by other smartphone browsers, and is more than double the gains made by the iPhone’s Safari browser.
Part of the Android browser’s growth might be attributable to the growth of the mobile browsing segment. Mobile web browsers accounted for 1.3% of all web activity in late 2009, up from less than a single percentage point in early 2009. Most of the growth, though, is likely due to Verizon’s launch of the Motorola Droid. With a massive ad campaign and holiday deals fueling Droid sales through the end of last year, it’s clear the Droid helped boost the Android browser. If anything, Droid marketing increased overall Android awareness enough to have a “halo effect” on other Android phones.
In comparison, the iPhone Safari browser grew just 20.1%, while the BlackBerry’s indisputably inferior browser saw its market share growing a surprising 22.2%. The iPhone still accounts for more web browser activity than the Android platform, but if Android continues to grow twice as fast as iPhone, there’s going to be a showdown between the two in the near future. Especially since the number of Android phones on market is expected to grow significantly in 2010. That is, unless some sort of Apple tablet device boosts Mobile Safari usage through the roof. Jussayin’.
In case you’re wondering, Net Applications gets their mobile web browsing data by tracking some 40,000 websites that generate about 160 million unique visits per month.
[Via: AndroidGuys]
About The Author
Will Park
Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...
