Samsung surpasses Apple in mobile web use
Samsung has notched up another milestone in its battle for mobile supremacy with Apple and Nokia after it leapfrogged both its arch-rivals in terms of mobile web use for the first time.
Web analytics firm StatCounter reports that the South Korean giant now accounts for a quarter of all mobile web browsing at 25.47 per cent; marginally ahead of Apple on 25.09 per cent and much better than Nokia which fell below 22 per cent.
Just one year ago Nokia had led the field thanks to its stock of older devices still in use.
Samsung didn’t have things entirely its own way however, in the most developed markets such as the US and UK Apple retains a clear lead, growing to account for 54.84 per cent of the market across the pond.
Samsung, by contrast, managed just 18.3 per cent – although this was a significant jump from 12.65 per cent last year.
In its report StatCounter said: “It has been a fascinating 12 months in terms of internet usage and the battle to dominate the mobile landscape. [It has included] the rise of Samsung to overtake Apple globally for the first time, albeit by a very small margin. Casualties along the way have included Nokia, plus BlackBerry, which declined despite efforts to reinvent itself.”
Aodhen Cullen, Statcounter’s chief executive, added: “There is a battle royal under way between the providers of browsers, mobile devices, search engines and social media. What makes the battle fascinating is that many of the big beasts of today’s technology age, including Google, Microsoft and Apple are going head to head.”