In our latest Consumer Insight, which is based on passively collected consumer behaviour analytics, we look at how consumers are using Android browsers.*
User browser choice has always been a key topic of debate amongst Android users and developers and, with a variety of options available to a mobile device owner, the Play Store is most definitely a battlefield on which the browser providers engage in combat.
RealityMine looked at four of the main browser players within this market and analysed how and when consumers are using them.
Our research shows that the highest use of browser sessions is during the afternoon, which is most likely due to people viewing web pages and news sites at lunchtime. Interestingly, 83% of device owners used the built-in browser, rather than installing and using a downloaded browser. Perhaps this indicates that large proportions of consumers are not aware of, or are not really interested in, the feature delta across the different browser offerings. Or it could be that links opened from other apps may be using the built-in browser as a default, and the user simply doesn’t know how to change their settings.
When we look at what time of day each browser is used, it is noticeable that Opera Mini has a higher proportion of session usage in the morning. This could be attributed to the browser’s compression feature, which means that pages load faster and consume less data – making it a good choice for consumers to use on their morning commute when they are more likely to be connected to a cellular network.
A common trend across all four browsers analysed by RealityMine is that the number of sessions tends to be higher at the start of the week and then drops off at the weekend, with Opera Mini showing the most severe drop off. This could be due to consumers being less likely to use their mobile browser at weekends because they are using a tablet or home desktop. Or perhaps their browsing is associated with working life and therefore plays a less prominent role at the weekends when they are undertaking social activities.
*Analysis based on research carried out amongst 1142 panelists across a four week period. RealityMine used mobile passive behaviour tools to monitor user browsing patterns.
