Safari declines in mobile browser usage, others gain traction

With over 60 percent of usage, Safari is the most widely used mobile web browser application by a longshot. However, a report from CNET shows that Apple browser may be losing a bit of steam. The browser dipped from 60 percent usage to 58 percent from May to June. While Safari has seen a decline month to month, web browser apps Opera Mini, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer have seen increases. Surprisingly, Opera Mini leads with an increase of 10.5 percent to 11.2 percent and Chrome increased 3.2 to 3.8. For iOS devices, Safari is the default mobile browser, deeply integrated within the operating system. For example, when an iOS user opens a link in their mail app, it will load up in Safari by default. Apple has yet to introduce the ability to select a third-party browser application as default. With the popularity of iOS devices, it is unlikely to see a third party application to surpass Safari in widespread usage, despite other applications offering more robust features. This could be due to lack of knowledge for other applications or simply because of how the applications are integrated with the operating system. For example, Android's standard browser is unbranded where it could easily be Chrome. It is also important to note that Chrome is available for multiple platforms including both iOS and Android devices. According to AppData, Chrome is the #5 top free utility app available in the App Store. This means that people are downloading it, but are not necessarily using it as much as the Safari browser. Mobile browsing trends tend to be slower as a new space where many are unfamiliar. This data is highly dependent on the popularity of the operating system. In this case, it is likely that many people are using iOS devices to web browse, hence why Safari has such a commanding lead. It is also possible that iOS users are simply spending more time on their devices than users of other platforms. The a large discrepancy is unlikely to change significantly very quickly, but could change potentially as new features come about. It is also possible for Safari to turn its decline around with the new features available in iOS 7.

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Safari declines in mobile browser usage, others gain traction

Jonathan Espinosa

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