Chitika Insights

Apple's iPhone 5 has been available for only a few weeks, but already it's generating more Web traffic volume than the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Online advertising network Chitika today released results of a study it conducted on Web traffic volume between the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3. The company found that of "millions of mobile ad impressions" it recorded on the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3, more than half -- 56 percent -- originated from Apple's handset. Samsung's smartphone nabbed 44 percent of the total impressions.

"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 wrote today in a blog post. "Record-breaking sales numbers, along with new 4G browsing speeds which encourage data usage, are the most likely explanation for this tremendous growth."

A bitter battle has erupted between Apple and Samsung over their flagship smartphones. Apple claims that the iPhone 5 is the best smartphone on the market, thanks to, among other things, its 4-inch Retina display, 8-megapixel camera, and design.

Samsung, meanwhile, has argued quite the opposite, pointing to the Galaxy S3's larger, 4.8-inch screen and near-field communication support, among other features. After Apple unveiled the iPhone 5, Samsung wasted no time launching an advertising campaign detailing what it believes are Apple's handset's shortcomings. The company has even taken to mocking Apple fans who stand in lines to buy the company's latest device.

Those efforts seem to have paid off. Earlier this month, mobile-app analytics firm revealed that Galaxy S3 sales are growing. When the iPhone 5 was announced last month, Galaxy S3 sales grew by 15 percent. At the end of September, sales growth was at 9 percent.

Chitika's data is based on mobile ad impressions it collected across its network between October 3 and October 9. The company didn't say how the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3 fared against other smartphones.