ISTANBUL

The rising popularity of smartphones and tablets with Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity led to a surge of mobile internet traffic in recent years, replacing traditional computers, as mobile devices made up over 60% of the global web traffic as of July, in a world first.

Back in 2009, desktop computers decisively dominated worldwide web traffic, making up 99.3%, while mobile devices accounted for a mere 0.7%, according to data from Statcounter.

The turning point in mobile internet access was in 2016, as the share of mobile devices in web traffic exceeded 50% that December, rising above desktop computers for the first time in internet history, while tablets accounted for 5% and desktop computers 45% at the same time.

Now the share of tablets and smartphones in web traffic exceeded 60% for the first time, while the share of laptops dropped to 40%, the data showed.

The most-used web browsers were Chrome with a 68% share, Safari with 16%, and Microsoft Edge with 5%.

Türkiye’s share of smartphones in web traffic was above average in July, as mobile devices accounted for 76.8% of the country’s web traffic, while desktop computers made up 22% and tablets 1.2%, according to Statcounter data.

Since the 1990s, the use of cellphones rose steadily with new features and models, from large headsets and antennas to flip phones, with better cameras, touch screens, internet connectivity via both wifi and cellular data, and social media apps.

Apple’s first iPhone, unveiled in 2007, was a turning point in mobile history, redefining the cellphone with its state-of-the-art operating system and touch screen. The first iPhone came with the Safari web browser, bringing the desktop web experience to our pockets – gone were the days of primitive, text-focused mobile webpages with the advent of iPhone, as cellphones had gained the capability to browse the internet just like a computer could.