Three Weeks In, and the iPhone 5 Is Already Dominating the Mobile Web

In just three weeks on the market, Apple’s iPhone 5 is already accounting for more Web traffic than the rival Samsung Galaxy S III, which has been on sale for nearly three months.

When looking at Web traffic from the two smartphones, Chitika said the iPhone 5 now accounts for 56 percent of pages, compared to 44 percent for the Galaxy S III.

And the mobile advertising network says that the Galaxy S III itself has been a strong seller, outpacing the iPhone 4S in the U.S. for the month of August.

“However, only 18 days since the public release of the iPhone 5, the newest Apple device has overtaken the Galaxy S III in terms of Web traffic volume,” Chitika said. “Record-breaking sales numbers, along with new 4G browsing speeds which encourage data usage, are the most likely explanation for this tremendous growth.”

Chitika notes that businesses probably want to make sure their ads can reach both flagship devices, but adds that the head-to-head comparison “emphasizes iPhone users still being the most active — and hence marketable – users of the mobile Web.”