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Web Browsers Are Making A Comeback, Just Not In The U.S.

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In the U.S. where the monthly data plan and Wi-Fi are abundant, the market for single-purpose apps like Facebook and Snapchat (SNAP - Free Report) has flourished. However, across the world, it is not apps that are racking up users but mobile web browsers.

Browsers are popular again, especially in developing countries, where data plans are not accessible for everyone and prepaid data plans can’t support data heavy single-purpose apps. Users are finding themselves turning to web browsers to stay connected.

It is not a second choice either. While it may feel like apps are faster and easier to use, browser developers have been working hard to compensate users. Not only have browser companies like UC Browser from Alibaba (BABA - Free Report) , Google Chrome from Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL - Free Report) and Opera Mini by Opera Software, have made their browsers data-efficient, but these companies have also been adding new features like voice recognition, file sharing and integration with social media.

In countries where it is easy to buy used or refurbished smartphones for as little as $25, it is easy to see why users lean towards web browsers instead of single-purpose apps. You spend less and achieve more.

The number of Internet users globally has reached around 3.5 billion and many of the people that became Internet users in the past few years are all part of the rise of the global middle class in emerging markets. And they provided the biggest user growth for browser makers. These companies also know how to keep their users occupied and monetizing them through mobile advertising.

Internet giants like Google and Facebook are noticing these trends. Two thirds of Facebook’s users are in emerging markets and Google’s Chrome remains the dominant browser in many emerging markets. Facebook has Facebook Lite, an app designed for low-bandwidth users and Google pays other search engines to direct search traffic to ad-supported Google services.

It is logical that these new users in the emerging markets will likely follow in the footsteps of their richer peers and make the shift from web browsers to apps as they get wealthier and data becomes cheaper, though this doesn’t worry the browser developers. There will always be a new group of users joining emerging market.

India is projected to increase its per-capita income by 125% by 2025 with its population of 1.3 billion people, according to Morgan Stanley (MS - Free Report) . Opera Software said Africa is growing the fastest in terms of new downloads and there are 600 million potential users in Southeast Asia, which is a huge market for these browsers.

Until cellular connection become more accessible and affordable, web browsers will maintain its popularity.


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