The Web on Smartphones: Trends in Usage and Technology

Table of Contents
IDC Opinion
In This Insight
Situation Overview
The Mobile Web: A Long Time Coming, and Still Not Quite Here
The Worldwide Web Turned the Internet Into a Publishing Medium
The Advantages of Publishing on the Web
Paid-For Publishing on the Web is Difficult
The Development of Mobile Browsers — and Apps
The Web on Phones, Take 1: WAP
The Web on Phones, Take 2: HTML
The Web on Phones is Still Not an Ideal User Experience
The Emergence of Apps
The "Next Phase of the Web" — on Mobile

HTML5
CSS 3
Webkit
Widgets
"Going on the Internet": Where do Users Start?
The Importance of the Internet Starting Point
Evolution of the Internet Starting Point — PCs
Evolution of the Internet Starting Point — Phones
Future Outlook
Browser Versus Apps
The Advantages and Drawbacks of Apps
Advantages of Apps
More Sophisticated Features and Functionality
Offline Mode
Established Processes of Discovery
Established Monetization Models
Tight Control for Content Publishers
Drawbacks of Apps
The Rising Cost of Fragmentation
App Developers are Bound to the Storefront Owners' Conditions
Managing a Collection of Apps can be Cumbersome
Users Need to Re-Learn How to Use Services
Availability of Content and Services Through Apps is Limited
The Advantages and Drawbacks of Mobile Browsers
Advantages of Mobile Browsers
Easy to Manage
Develop Once for Users of Multiple Operating Systems
Provide Access to a Huge Range of Content and Services
Provide New Mobile Internet Users With a Familiar Experience
Drawbacks of Mobile Browsers
Limited Exploitation of the Phone's Features
Slow Loading and Rendering of Web Content
Haphazard Support for Discovery and Payment
Some Web Content Poorly Matches the Characteristics of Phones
Browsers Need Network Connectivity
Browsers Versus Apps? Or Behavior Versus Technology?
Apps are on the Rise, But Browsers Still Have a Key Role
Are Apps a Transitional Phase, or a Permanent Feature?
The App and Browser Experiences Will Converge Over Time
The Impact on Industry Players
The Impact on Mobile Operators
Implications for Device and Platform Vendors
Implications for Internet Service and Content Providers
Figure: Full Web Browsing Capability Becomes Available to the Majority of European Mobile Users
Figure: Smartphone OS are Diverse, but the Momentum is With Android and Apple
Figure: Web Technology Developments Enabling a Better Mobile Web Experience
Figure: The Internet Starting Point on PC: A High Degree of Uniformity
Figure: Evolution of the Vodafone live! Mobile Portal — Keep Customers Starting Here
Figure: The Internet Starting Point on Mobile Phones has Become Highly Fragmented
Figure: The Advantages and Drawbacks of Apps and Browsers
Figure: Smartphones Will Continue to Use Multiple Different Operating Systems
Figure: WAC Aims to Offer a Single Point of Distribution to Multiple Application Storefronts
Figure: Browsers and Apps are Equally Widely Used for Mobile Internet Access
Figure: The Browser and Apps/Storefronts Will Converge From the User Perspective Over Time
Figure: The Mobile Internet Starting Point Remains Fragmented, but Traffic Patterns May Shift Significantly