See also: Android, it’s the browser stupid

Today GigaOm summarizes the thoughts of Bob Morris, head of mobile marketing for ARM Holdings, the company that designs “cores” for chips that power mobile devices. Morris goes one step further by arguing that the importance of the browser now supersedes the operating system itself. Browsers are the new application framework, he says, and as a result ARM is researching how to optimize their cores for specific Web browsers not just the various operating systems.

“Morris believes the increasing number of services accessed through a web site such as Facebook or Gmail are what chip vendors and device makers needs to pay attention to”, writes GigaOm’s Stacey Higginbotham. As a result, ARM recently inked a partnership with Mozilla and other vendors to build a Linux-based mobile computing device designed for Web browsing.

Apple raising consumer expectations

Despite the current excitement surrounding the new iPhone App Store, Apple’s decision to first launch with an emphasis on browser-based applications would appear to support Morris’ line of thinking. There’s certainly no doubt that the iPhone’s version of Safari pushes the envelope for mobile Web browsers, along with significantly raising consumer expectations, and as a result will likely force others to raise their game.

In fact, this has already begun to happen. Just witness HTC’s decision to bundle the latest version of Opera Mobile with its new flagship smartphone, the Diamond Touch, in replace of Pocket IE, despite running Windows Mobile. We’re also seeing new entrants in the mobile browser space, including start-up Skyfire, and Mozilla who are developing a version of Firefox for mobile phones.

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Related Articles at last100:

• Hands-on: G1’s Android web browser rocks [video demo]
• Google Calendar goes mobile
• Mozilla Labs working on making mobile browsing a snip
• Google vs Microsoft? Forget Chrome OS (for now) and keep your eye on Android and Win Mobile
• Video demo: SkyFire’s S60 mobile web browser accessing Hulu and YouTube