Study highlights need for better mobile Web options

JupiterResearch says better browser options would spur growth in the mobile web in a new study released Wednesday. This after a survey yesterday indicated the iPhone was already the leading mobile Web browsing tool.

Specifically, a NetApplications study yesterday revealed that Apple's iPhone has quickly eclipsed all other mobile platforms to reach the number one spot.

Overall, 63% of those Jupiter surveyed -- a significant majority of cellular customers -- were found to not be using their phones for any kind of Internet service. Likely to blame for this is the still mediocre set of options available for browsing Internet content via handsets.

"We're not advocating the browser go away, just that there should be an alternative for 'glanceable' content -- the content people need frequently," explained Vice President Julie Ask, lead analyst of the report. "Consumers are willing to pay for good experiences and products."

Most browsers for the mobile Web cannot display content made for the desktop well. Furthermore, even if the content provider does offer a version of its Web site formatted for the mobile screen, oftentimes it is very dry and lacks any kind of interactivity.

Apple has addressed this problem by bringing its Safari browser to the iPhone, giving it the capability to actually scale desktop Web pages for the mobile screen. While it's nowhere near perfect, next to Opera Mini it is the closest thing to a truly usable mobile Web experience out there.

JupiterResearch also says that price will also play a huge part in driving usage of the mobile Internet. And again, as Ask urged companies to do, maybe looking outside of the browser could be a good option.

"The goal should be to engage the user through ease of operation so that accessing information in this manner will eventually become second nature," added JupiterResearch president David Schatsky.