New data from mobile analytics and billing firm Bango Inc. show that mobile Web activity from Android devices grew by 400 percent between the first and second quarters, coming at ample cost to Apple.

A major reason for the Android surge is that more mainstream manufacturers, including HTC, Motorola and Samsung, released quality Android-based handsets this year. Also, being on multiple carriers, as opposed to just AT&T, has helped Android gain on iPhone.

?Android browsing has been growing well over the last year, so this latest increase is part of an ongoing trend,? said Andy Bovingdon, vice president of product marketing at Bango, Cambridge, England.

?The reason for such a high increase between Q1 and Q2 this year is probably due in part to the maturity of the Android platform,? he said.

?Version 2.1 started to provide the capabilities and style that consumers were looking for, while the browsing and user interface capabilities made browsing the Web easier and more enjoyable.?

Android is increasingly becoming the mobile operating system for a new range of phones from Motorola, Sony Ericsson, LG and Samsung, as well as HTC, which had been the main provider up to that point.

Robotic speed
Bango sampled mobile Web sites during the first and second quarter, measuring the number of mobile visits. The survey included news, sports, entertainment, social, stores and media sites.

The company did not measure mobile application usage and excluded Facebook and Twitter due to the sites? popularity. It also excluded sites that filtered traffic for certain devices.

Bango offers services that facilitate commerce for companies targeting Web-enabled mobile phone users. Its products collect payment from consumers for services and provide analysis for mobile marketing campaigns.

The Bango survey showed that HTC and Sony Ericsson devices represented the largest percentage of growth in site visits.

HTC increased by 162 percent and Sony Ericsson by 148 percent, showing an expansion in market share between the two quarters by 94 percent and 84 percent, respectively.

At the same time, LG grew by 48 percent, Motorola by 45 percent and Samsung by 26 percent.

The Bango survey also showed that BlackBerry mobile Web site visits increased by 20 percent in the first quarter, accounting for 37 percent of visits during the second quarter.

Slice of Apple
Apple, growing by only 13 percent in the same quarter, accounted for 26 percent of all visits came from Apple devices, demonstrating a market share decline of 16 percent. 

Regarding Apple, possible implications for marketers are audience reach and volume in addition to audience growth.

?Apple is not a single meal ticket to mobile marketing success ? life is not that simple,? Mr. Bovingdon said.

?BlackBerry represents the biggest mobile audience and, as such, should not be overlooked,? he said.

?They potentially represent the highest ROI opportunity for marketers, partly due to the number of users you can reach and due to lower marketing competition ? others are Apple-chasing.?

Mr. Bovingdon said the number of Android phones on the rise has begun to threaten Apple, jeopardizing its spot as the ?cool phone.?

?What do marketers want their brand to be associated with?? Mr. Bovingdon said. ?The solid reliability of BlackBerry or the innovative, fast growth of Android??

?BlackBerry continues to provide solid, reliable phones that their customers like,? he said.

?Even though their latest phones like the Torch may fail to create the press excitement that a new iPhone generates, there is no denying that the quality of build is second to none and that they come with all the latest features including apps, Web browsing, social connections and, of course, communications. 

?They remain the trusted, secure solution depended on by millions of companies around the U.S. and the world. Even though some companies may move away, Apple and Google still need to go a long way to seriously change this.?

Fruits of labor
Mr. Bovingdon advises marketers to initially work on their strategy by identifying the audience and demographics, and then determine which platforms to target.

?I would predict that a large proportion will be BlackBerry users and a smart marketer should assign the relevant proportion of their budget accordingly,? Mr. Bovingdon said.

?Apple represents the second biggest Web market in the U.S., but also seems to attract the most marketing activity, therefore increasing costs and lowering potential ROI,? he said.
 
Also, with Apple showing the biggest slowdown in Web browsing, smart marketers should look carefully at their long-term brand strategy to ensure the correct balance and position.

Looking to the future, Mr. Bovingdon recommends marketers keep their eye on Android.
 
?Android is the one to watch, and by targeting marketing across a range of Android handsets it now represents a market that is starting to be worth addressing,? said Mr. Bovingdon.

?Android could soon overtake Apple and start to gain ground on BlackBerry in the U.S.,? he said. ?Android could be the new iPhone to link cool brands with before everyone jumps onboard.?

Final Take
Kaitlyn Bonneville, editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer, New York

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