iPhone conquers 50% of US smartphone web traffic Apple's iPhone is now responsible for 50 per cent of smartphone web traffic in the USA, according to a report from AdMob Mobile Metrics.

Since its release last year, the 3G iPhone has swiftly and steadily climbed up the smartphone ranks, with more and more customers switching to Apple's service thanks to a widely-acclaimed device that offers both optimum features and functionality.

One of the iPhone's most useful features is its 3G access to the web which, unfortunately for other platforms like Research in Motion'sBlackBerry and Windows Mobile, has experienced immense popularity as users can surf the net on the move. However, Apple is not the only platform to achieve significant success: just months after its release, Google's Android operating system - currently available on just one handset, the T-Mobile G1 - has shot to fame and captured five per cent of the web traffic market.

This comparatively low figure is made impressive when considered alongside the lack of choice users currently face when considering an Android phone. RIM's share of smartphone web traffic dropped from 32 per cent last August to 21 per cent in February, a fall made better for the Canadian company only by Windows Mobile's plummet from 30 per cent to 13 per cent.

The six month survey displays the massive leap in Apple and Google's popularity, a sure indicator of the future direction of smartphone competition. Recent rumours of the next generation iPhone have also added to the battle, with speculators guessing at a possible iPod Nano-like device, an iPhone with a G1-like slide-out QWERTY keyboard to tempt non touchscreen fans, and an improved camera and video recording feature.