Based on a recent sample of the advertising network operator's U.S and Canadian ad traffic , researchers at the data analytics arm of the Chitika advertising network noted that 91.26 percent of Android device users were relying on the standard Android mobile browser whereas only 85.0 percent of iOS device users were employing Apple's built-in browser.

"We found that, while the vast majority of users from both mobile operating systems stick with their default browsers, Apple users are more active at downloading replacements than Android users," noted Chitika Insights. "Additionally, Apple users were found to be more adventurous with their selections."

Still, new mobile versions of the Chrome and Firefox browsers have yet to make significant inroads on either the iOS or Android platforms. According to the ad network firm's sample of hundreds of millions of online impressions, only 3 percent of iOS device users and just 2.4 percent of Android device users were running Chrome between Aug. 28 and Sept. 4.

"On Android devices, the mainstream alternative browsers -- Chrome, Firefox, and Opera/Opera Mini -- make up all statistically significant non-native Browser usage," Chitika Insights said. "Compare that to iOS, where 14 percent of impressions are referred from a variety of smaller, exclusively mobile browsers."

Meager Shares for Chrome and Firefox

Despite receiving favorable reviews over the summer, the latest Chrome and Firefox browser releases for mobile devices have not caught fire with consumers. Chitika views this as a testament to high user satisfaction with the default browsers that ship with today's mobile phones and tablets.

"While both Chrome and Firefox's share of iOS and Android Web traffic are meager, their modest performances shouldn't be taken as a statement about poor usability," Chitika Insights reported. "Google and Mozilla's venture into the mobile browser realm has likely been as effective as they'd have hoped."

Still, the divide between the PC and mobile browser markets will only grow greater as phone and tablets account for a greater slice of global computing market. The latest data from Net Applications indicates that mobile handsets and tablets collectively account for 9 percent of all online computing device activity on a global basis -- up from 5.5 percent in October of last year. (continued...)

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