Chrome for iOS hits No.1 in Apple's App Store
Google's Chrome browser quickly became one of the most popular desktop Web browsers in the world, and now Google has its sites set on mobile. The app just launched for the iPhone and iPad earlier today and after a few short hours of availability …
Context & Ripple Effects
Google had already identified the iPhone as an important source of traffic in 2008 and, in 2011, used its Search app to bring many Chrome OS-like features to the iPad. The standalone browser makes that cross-platform strategy explicit.
The rapid chart performance follows Google's same-day Chrome launch for iPhone and iPad, giving an early measure of demand for a Google-controlled browsing client on Apple hardware.
First-order effects
- Chrome gains prominent App Store visibility on the iPhone and iPad immediately after launch, expanding Google’s direct reach to Apple-device users.
- Apple-device users gain a standalone Chrome browser rather than accessing Google primarily through its Search app or web services.
Second-order effects
- Google’s simultaneous iOS releases of Chrome and Drive give it multiple native entry points on Apple devices, making the App Store a more important channel for its services.
- The No. 1 ranking raises the competitive pressure on other iOS browser offerings to differentiate through features and service integration rather than distribution alone.
Third-order effects
- If early download demand becomes durable usage, browser competition on mobile will increasingly center on control of the client experience across rival hardware platforms, not only on the operating system.
- Google’s progression from iPhone traffic to a Chrome-like Search app and a full browser points to major web companies using native apps to retain service relationships on platforms they do not control.
The trend: Google is moving from serving Apple-device users through the web to owning more of their native client experience through cross-platform apps.