Android may be under attack from Oracle but its users seem to be increasingly using them for web browsing.

Web analytics company Bango has produced data indicating that web browsing by Android phones has increased 400% between Q1 and Q2 (in the USA) compared to a 13% growth in iPhone traffic.

However, before the Android fans begin to cheer it's worth adding that BlackBerry handsets account for the highest number of visits to web sites with 37% of the total traffic.

And in case you think that BlackBerry users are simply doing more work, an earlier survey revealed that they have a traffic pattern that is highest from 6am to 8 am and from 6pm to 8pm EST - yes BlackBerry users browse the web more after work than during work hours. This suggests that, contrary to preconceived ideas of the typical BlackBerry user who only sends emails, they are in the market for entertainment and general web surfing. The survey also revealed that the most visited sites were categorised as games, media and entertainment.

To quote Ray Anderson, CEO of Bango:

“Even with the advent of Apples new iAd platform and Google’s acquisition of AdMob, BlackBerry still represents the best volume opportunity for mobile advertising in the USA.  Apple appears to be losing ground to the latest Android handsets from HTC, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Samsung, showing the slowest quarterly growth in web browsing.”

An interesting and often repeated conclusion but the BlackBerry is a hard market to tap into and there is the question of how much longer it will hold such a big market share.

Further reading

Introduction to Android 2 application development

Why RIM? Why are governments picking on the BlackBerry?

Oracle sues Google for Android Java use

Nokia no Android - the developer's dilemma gets worse

Mobile platforms of the world!

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