With Apple having relaxed its iPhone approval process, thereby allowing third-party web browsers into the App Store, at least four browsers - WebMate, Edge Browser, Shaking Web, and Incognito - have made their way to the App Store.

The breakthrough for these apps came after a thorough, yet inexplicable, approval from Apple. Browsers like Opera and Firefox, with independently- developed engines, remained off the App Store primarily because of the pre-condition that all third-party browsers should be based on Apple’s WebKit framework with which mobile and desktop Safari versions are powered.

While Opera has been long around and has committed group of users of its platform die; Mozilla’s Firefox is already a popular open-source Web browser for PC browsing, and has greater market share than Safari.

Since the iPhone was built and developed by Apple, and has its own Web browser, the company has never been keen to allow other browsers onto it. However, with its latest move, the company has made provisions for outside developers to use the Safari Webkit, thereby prohibiting the direct competition from moving onto its iPhone.

Moreover, Apple’s duplication of functionality clause is likely to continue denying Opera and Firefox from getting a foothold on its most popular device.

It is quite obvious that if Opera and Firefox cannot make their way onto the iPhone, chances are even bleaker for Microsoft, with its most popular Web browser on the market – the Internet Explorer.