On the PC, Internet Explorer (IE), while declining for years, is still the top Web browser. On mobile devices, though, IE has never mattered, and Opera has long been the top dog. But, that’s no longer the case. According to StatCounter, Android’s built-in Web browser is now number one.

Android’s browser appears to have taken first place for the same reason that IE still dominates PCs-it’s what built into the most popular systems. True, the iPhone is the world’s single most popular smartphone, but taken all together Google’s Android devices accounted for over 50 percent of all smartphone sales, up by 30 percent only a year ago.

True, some vendors, such as Samsung, have long pre-loaded Opera on its feature phones. But, on the higher-end smartphones, Opera has had to reply on individual users downloading it. For years, this was enough, but no longer.

The number one mobile Web browser: Google’s native Android browser. More >