Apple nips at Nokia in mobile browser wars

iPhone takes number-two mobile browser spot in the UK

Apple's mobile Safari browser, which runs on the iPhone and iPod Touch, is the number-two mobile browser in the UK and number one in the US, according to StatCounter.

The research firm said that the iPhone took 0.06 per cent of the total internet browser market in the UK in March.

This included mobile and desktop browsers, and put the application behind Nokia which claimed a 0.15 per cent share.

The iPhone already has three times the internet browser share of BlackBerry in the UK, which has only a 0.02 per cent of the market, while Sony Ericsson has 0.01 per cent. Combined, the iPhone and iPod Touch took 0.09 per cent of the UK market.

In the US, the iPhone's 0.18 per cent market share for internet browsing is significantly ahead of Nokia's which came in at 0.01 per cent.

However this is largely down to the flat rate data package that comes with the iPhone contract, driving adoption of mobile browsing.

"It would appear that iPhone is more than living up to its claims of being a user-friendly internet browser, unlike many other mobile phones," said Aodhan Cullen, founder and chief executive at StatCounter.

Despite lagging behind in the US, Nokia is still well ahead in the global mobile internet browser market with 0.25 per cent in March.

The iPhone weighs in at number two with 0.06 per cent (0.08 per cent if the Touch is included), ahead of BlackBerry with 0.01 per cent.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer still leads the browser market overall with 53 per cent in the UK.

However, Explorer is facing increased competition from open source rival Firefox which has 35 per cent of the UK market. The battle is even closer in the US, where Internet Explorer holds 44.5 per cent and Firefox 43.9 per cent.