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By 4 February 2013 | Categories: news

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The latest (January 2013) mobile browser stats from market analytics firm Net Applications, has revealed which mobile browser is used most around the globe by smartphone and tablet users.

Due to the popularity of the iPhone (review) and iPad (third generation review), Apple’s Safari browser is still on top within the mobile arena, as it barely registers the slight drop from 61.85% during November 2012 to 61.02% currently.

Forever the bridesmaid is Google’s Android browser, in second place thanks to a 21.46% market stake worldwide that marks a more than 5% drop compared to November 2012’s share of 26.24%. Grabbing another 2.02% market share for the tech giant is the Chrome browser, which share is up from 1.14% that was registered during November 2012.

After its market share fell from almost 20% at the beginning of 2012 to 7% by the end of 2012, Opera Software’s popular feature phone browser Opera Mini’s usage rose slightly to 9.84% currently. Snapping up another 0.62% market share for the Norwegian firm is its Opera Mobile browser.   

 
 

On the browser fringes we find Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and its minority stake of 1.34% (up from 0.95% in November 2012), kept company by BlackBerry’s BlackBerry browser with its 1.19% mobile browser share. The company formerly known as RIM (Research In Motion) may see its mobile browser leave the fringes and reach mainstream usage, if the new BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 smartphones are a hit with smartphone buyers.

Rounding off the fringe performers is the Symbian browser, and its share is destined to drop sharply on the news that the Nokia 808 PureView (review) was the Finnish phone giant’s final Symbian-powered mobile device.

In other browser related news, Mozilla recently released the latest edition of its popular Firefox web browser, with Firefox 18 incorporating a new JavaScript compiler dubbed IonMonkey, which the company says makes web-based apps as well as games perform up to 25% quicker.

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