Opera overtakes iPhone browser in global market share
updated 11:20 pm EDT, Tue June 2, 2009
Opera beats Safari mobile
The Opera mobile browser has surpassed Apple's iPhone browser as the most popular mobile browser internationally, according to numbers collected by the analysis company StatCounter. The two browsers have battled for the lead position over the past six months, with Opera generally losing against mobile Safari from February through April. Sometime in May, however, a spike in Opera usage put the browser up to 24.6 percent while the iPhone fell slightly to 17.9 percent.
In the United States, the iPhone and iPod touch still hold dominant positions with BlackBerry falling in third place. Opera, however, accounts for less than three percent of browser usage, slightly below the PSP.
"Opera began the year in number one slot but iPhone overtook it in February. May saw Opera regain the number one position," said StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen. "It will be fascinating to watch how this battle plays out over the year."
title suggestion
06/03, 02:20am (1 reply) reply
Could have titled this article:
iPhone Bows to Dramatic Opera Score
cartoonasaur
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2009
Left field
06/03, 02:39am reply
You mean people actually use Opera?
JonathanBadeen
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Joined: Mar 2008
Not really true...
06/03, 02:59am (1 reply) reply
How about doing a WebKit comparison? Also both iPhone and iTouch use the same OS and browsers so there is no reason to separate them. If you really look at it all, the Safari browser on the Apple SmartDevices™ are way ahead of competition. Moreover the spike in opera usage could also pertain to the browser being used on computers and being broadcast as mobile device.
macnixer
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2006
Lies, damn lies...
06/03, 03:07am reply
... and statistics!
Anyone care to explain why the IPhone and IPod Touch are listed as devices, while Opera is listed as a browser? In order to be meaningful, devices should be compared against devices and browsers against browsers.
Let's see the graph for mobile safari on the same plot, eh?
cal6n
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2003
On SC sites..
06/03, 03:56am reply
And note that this is numbers for Sites That Use StatCounter! You need to embed one of (free) their services on your site in order to get into those stats - so the spike could be a lot of sites for Opera that now has the code embedded... !
Marook
Forum Regular
Joined: May 1999
Ha!
06/03, 04:03am reply
"Sometime in May, however, a spike in Opera usage put the browser up"
--------
Sometimes in July or August, a spike in MobileSafari usage will put MobileSafari back into first place.
ZinkDifferent
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Joined: Jan 2005
It's not iTouch
06/03, 06:30am reply
People (look at the graph), it's not iTouch it is iPod Touch.
StatCounter is free only for websites with 250000 payloads and less a month. And if your website has more than that or you need a detailed log you will have to pay for their counter!
Look at this way - the above article from MACNN is an advertisement for StatCounter simply because they need more customers.
Gepard
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Joined: Sep 2000
Re: Lies
06/03, 07:32am reply
Anyone care to explain why the IPhone and IPod Touch are listed as devices, while Opera is listed as a browser?
Maybe its because Apple distinguishes them with their user agent settings, and, as such, they display differently.
Or maybe they wanted to separate them so those who care (and not just Mac fans who watch for any stat that doesn't show Apple up front so they can blast them) can differentiate between browser usage on mobile phones vs. other devices.
Nah, I'm sure it's just because StatCounter are blatant Apple bashers looking for ways to kick them.
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001
Re: Lies
06/03, 11:12am reply
"Or maybe they wanted to separate them so those who care ... can differentiate between browser usage on mobile phones vs. other devices."
Hard to buy this argument, since they don't break down the devices running Opera. I'm not claiming that StatCounter is trying to bash Apple. I am accusing them of throwing out meaningless statistics. By my reading, the Apple devices combined still hold the top spot. They DID show a drop which does coincide with the Opera gain, so to me, their loss was Opera's gain. But they seem to be starting to swing back already in the last data point.
ff11
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Joined: Apr 2004
Re: Lies
06/03, 01:31pm reply
Hard to buy this argument, since they don't break down the devices running Opera. I'm not claiming that StatCounter is trying to bash Apple.
But, again, if you read my post, you'd see I was differentiating between phones and other mobile devices. Since I can't think of another mobile device that has a browser on it that isn't a phone (maybe the new Zune!), there's no reason to break them out.
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001