Apple finished 2011 with a nice 52.1 percent share of all mobile web traffic for month of December, which, compared to Android’s scant 16.2 percent share, leaves Apple in a pretty nice position for 2012 and beyond.
According to the latest numbers from NetMarketShare, iOS retained its prominent web share position with more than double the share of their closest competitor, the generic “Java ME” identifier with 21.27 percent, with Android coming in third place.
Keep in mind, however, that these numbers are estimates. Even so, with a lead of more than three times over Android, it’s hard to imagine Apple ranking anywhere but first place when it comes to mobile web share, which is consistent with data from previous months and years.
The question arises of why iOS has such dominant web share, considering that there are significantly more Android devices in circulation than iOS devices.
To me, the data suggests that iPhone and iPad users simply use their devices for browsing the web (and perhaps use them more all around) than users of Android devices. The fact that iOS provides such a simple and pleasant web experience is also a likely factor.
