Non-iPhone users love the mobile web too

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Browser company Opera has released figures that indicate that mobile web usage is increasing and that Nokia handsets are the most popular platform for surfing using its Mini browser.

In its monthly ‘State of the Mobile Web’ report, Nokia handsets placed first, second and third in the chart for mobile data that utilised its Opera Mini browser, a Java based app intended for conventional handsets rather than smartphones.

The Nokia N70 was first on the chart, followed by the Nokia N73 and the Nokia 6300. The Sony Ericsson K750i and BlackBerry 8310 were next.

In the US however, Blackberry has a virtual whitewash of the chart, with all but one place of the top ten handsets going to RIM manufactured handsets, with the LG LX260 the exception sitting at number eight on the chart.

The data also suggested that you don’t have to own an iPhoneto make use of the web. Opera said that in June more than 3.2 billion pages were viewed with each person viewing an average of 223 pages, a 9.4 per cent increase since May.

Overall mobile web usage went up by 1.8 per cent over May, though monthly unique users declined slightly to 14.5 million users because June has one less day than the month of May.

In terms of content, social networking sites continue to dominate, with Facebook, Bebo and Myspace all in the top 10 for UK usage along with search sites, such as Google, which took the number one position.

“The trend we see is that users want the full web on their phone,” Opera communications manager Julie Sangani told IT PRO.

“With the right experience, many more people will use the web on their phone. We believe that there is one web and that the experience of accessing the web regardless of what content, on your handset or on your Nintendo Wii, should be the same.”

Opera also recently released a beta of its Opera Mobile 9.5 browser, aimed specifically for more powerful smartphones running Symbian S60 or Windows Mobile.

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