Like my friend Paul Kedrosky, I think the reason for the jump in browser usage by those with iPhones should be fairly obvious: the iPhone browser is actually a pleasure to use, rather than a gigantic pain in the ass that renders pages badly and makes you want to stab yourself in the eyeballs or throw your phone off a bridge somewhere. Nevertheless, it’s still kind of amazing that the iPhone, with 2 per cent of the market, could overtake (even briefly) Symbian with 60 per cent of the market.
As a Canadian — and therefore a hostage to some of the most uncompetitive mobile-phone service in the northern hemisphere — this happy result for iPhone makes me wonder what the future holds when (or if) we ever get these magical devices in the great white north. Since even the “unlimited” data plans that some carriers have aren’t truly unlimited, I can’t help but think that a better browser means more browsing, which means higher bills. Unless Uncle Steve puts some pressure on.
Update:
At least one analyst is expecting Apple to announce the Canadian iPhone (hat tip to Mark Evans for the link). And if you’re listening, Ted Rogers? Don’t do this.