Mobile Safari still dominates mobile browsing

Mobile Safari continues its reign as the dominant mobile browser according to new data from web analytics firm Net Applications. Mobile Safari grabs a respectable 53% of mobile browser usage share, while its closest competitor, Opera Mini, grabs only 20.77%. Coming in third is the Android browser with 15.73% usage share.

Much of the success of mobile Safari can be attributed to the popularity of the iPad. Recent studies show that most people with an iPad use it primarily as a web browser. It's so popular as a browser that the iPad grabs 25% of US mobile browser market and 2% of the overall browser market.

Android, however, has yet to produce a competitive tablet and most measurable web browsing activity is coming from smartphones. Yes, smartphones are convenient for occasional searching on the go, but the smaller screen is not designed for extended browsing sessions.