iOS Leads Android in US, Canada Mobile Web Traffic Share: Study

In North America (Canada and the US), Windows Phone now accounts for the third largest share in mobile Web traffic, overtaking BlackBerry for the first time, according to a report by mobile ad network Chitika. The top spot remains a contest between iOS and Android, at 53.1 percent and 44.5 percent of all mobile Web traffic respectively, with Windows Phone accounting for only 1 percent of traffic, ahead of BlackBerry's 0.8 percent.

According to a post on Chitika's website, the company measured "hundreds of millions of US and Canadian smartphone-based online ad impressions between February 1 and April 30, 2014."

The company states that ad impressions for Windows Phone have been relatively flat in this two month period, while BlackBerry has continued to decline steadily.

The company also pointed out that while iOS users continue to generate the majority of North American smartphone Web traffic, the upcoming flagship device launches from large manufacturers could affect the balance.

The firm did not share manufacturer specific data in its report, so just based on this information, it isn't possible to say whether the Android traffic comes from high end flagship devices or the cheaper entry level handsets; nor is it clear if any one manufacturer has a lead in this metric.

Chitika concludes that the flat rate of growth for Windows Phone over the past several months makes it likely that Apple and Google's offerings will remain frontrunners stateside.

Globally the picture is a little different. Both Android and Windows Phone have been gaining, particularly in developing markets, and according to a February report by IDC, Android accounted for 78.1 percent of the global smartphone share, while Windows Phone saw 46.7 percent year-over-year growth.