Remember this report about Google Chrome passing Microsoft’s Internet Explorer in browser market share? Well, at today’s D10 conference, Chrome SVP Sundar Pichai basically confirmed this is true, saying that Chrome is “#1 in most countries” and even noting that Chrome’s market share is over 50% in some regions.
One-third of people are using Chrome, said Pichai.
StatCounter’s report, to refresh your memory, found that Google’s Chrome web browser had overtaken Microsoft’s Internet Explorer for a period of time in May 2012. The firm compiled data for the week of May 14th through May 20th, showing that Chrome had a market share of 32.76%, compared with IE’s 31.94%. This isn’t the first time that Chrome had gotten ahead, however. And the race itself is close – perhaps too close to call.
Pichai didn’t reveal specific details regarding Google’s own internal data on web browser metrics, but said Google believes Chrome is in either first or second place in almost all countries worldwide, based on what it’s seeing:
Chrome grew roughly 300 percent last year — we have hundreds of millions of active users. We have many ways of looking at it. You can argue about the data, but in general I think we have gained substantial mindshare since we’ve launched the product. I think it’s fair to say that we are number one or number two in all countries in the world. It’s fair to say that roughly a third of people are using Chrome; I think it’s much more than a third in the consumer space.
In other words, Pichai confirmed everyone’s typical assessment of the situation: that most enterprise users are on Internet Explorer because it takes time to upgrade. But anyone who can log in and change their browser will be on Chrome – that’s why consumer usage is far higher than enterprise usage.
Emerging markets are especially fond of the browser because of its speed, Pichai added. And more Windows users than Mac users are also on Chrome, mainly because that’s where Chrome first launched.