According to Web analytics firm StatCounter, Opera Software’s mobile browser overtook Apple’s iPhone browser in May as the most popular mobile browser in the world. Given the iPhone’s popularity, this is quite the feat.
StatCounter said that 24.6% of all the Internet pages downloaded to mobile devices globally in May were downloaded through Opera’s browser. For comparison, the iPhone had 22.3%. Opera actually began the year in the number one position, but the iPhone overtook Opera in February. Nokia retained third place with 17.9% of the market.
Opera sells its browsers to many manufacturers and wireless operators. Consumers can also download the Opera browser for free. The Opera Mini browser provides a faster, more full-featured Web browser than what comes on many PDAs.
Update:It's worth mentioning that Opera sells its browser to many cellphone makers and operators, and consumers can download it for free. StatCounter's initial statistics reflect only Apple iPhone users surfing the Internet. If you include the iPod Touch, then the Apple browser retains the lead, since the iPod Touch alone received 14.9% of the market share in May.
Comments
Ars Technica correctly pointed out that this is not at all (or even close to) correct. Mobile devices include Pocket PCs, various PDAs, etc. and if they have WiFi, they browse the web. The iPod Touch is popular enough it really pushes Safari numbers way up over Opera.
If you restrict yourself to phones, it’s sort of correct. Inasmuchas webkit is both Konqueror and Safari out in the big world, it wouldn’t be “fair” to say all webkit browsers are Safari. However, if I am developing for mobile browsers, I’m smarter, frankly, to develop for WebKit than I am for the opera engine. That’s just a fact.
Finally, I wonder how many people will be running around with 2nd gen ipod touches (or even 1st gen with headphones) with mic dongles and Skype and using them as phones. It’s kind of a nice way to skirt the service contract with AT&T, although you have to be a leech on public WiFis and dependent on them.
Marion brings up a good point. I’ve updated the post to clarify things a bit.
I prefer Windows Mobile 6.5. It’s pretty much compatible with PC