Opera’s State of the Android Mobile Web: All roads lead to Facebook

Report reveals browsing behavior of Indian Opera Mini users on Android

The number of Indians using mobile devices to get online is growing at a steady pace, and the availability of affordable smartphones is an important factor fueling this growth. This special State of the Android Mobile Web report takes a closer look into the mobile browsing behavior of these smartphone users in India.

India is home to the largest number of Opera Mini users in the world. In the last year, Opera Mini users on smartphones in India increased by 136.6%, constituting 19% of the total Opera Mini users in India. Opera Mini users on Android increased by 62% in this period, constituting 12% of all Opera Mini users in India.

Here are some highlights from the State of the Android Mobile Web report:

Facebook leading the pack

The top 3 categories of domains based on data usage are social networking, search and cricket. Some 21.7% of all data used by Opera Mini’s Android users is for Facebook, followed by Google at 5.8% and ESPNcricinfo at 1.7%. With 67% of Opera Mini’s Android users in India using the browser to access Facebook from their mobile devices, the majority number of webpages viewed are also from Facebook.

Discover information via Opera

Almost 50% of the top hundred domains visited by Opera Mini’s Android users are related to news and information, search, price comparison and e-commerce. The Opera Mini browser has proven extremely handy when users are looking for information.

Samsung rules all the way

Samsung tops the list of Android devices used to access the web via Opera Mini. In all, 9 out of the top-10 Android handsets are from Samsung. A further breakdown of the top-100 Android devices of Indian Opera Mini users confirms Samsung’s leading position, with a 31% market share, followed by Sony at 23% and Micromax at 15%.

They love ’em cheap

Each of the top-10 Android devices cost less than Rs. 10,000, with the exception of the Samsung Galaxy S2, which ranks last. A mobile device packed with a smart operating system and multiple features, all while fitting within an average users’ budget, is proving to be a good deal for users.

Browse more, save more

In addition to being the most preferred browser on basic phones, Opera Mini is also being used by millions of smartphone users in India. The data consumed by Opera Mini users on smartphones is significantly higher than the data consumed by Opera Mini users on basic phones.

Among Opera Mini users, the number of webpages viewed by an Android user is 29.5% higher than the monthly page views by an average user. Opera Mini compresses webpages by up to 90% before sending them to the device, as a result webpages open faster and users save on data costs. Data compressed for an Android user is 127% higher than the data compressed for an average user. Higher usage and compression rates clearly indicate that Opera Mini users on Android browse more and save more money than an average Opera Mini user.

See more detailed insights in the infographic and report here.