You know you want to touch it.

Apple’s iPhone, despite bug complaints, has made huge gains on its sleek touch interface for surfing the Internet, according to a report.

“iPhone’s share of Internet browsing is now four times that of Windows Mobile and nearly 40 percent of Linux share,” Pacific Crest Securities analyst Andy Hargreaves, citing a Net Applications report, wrote Tuesday in a note to clients.

Net Applications gathers data from browsers of site visitors and gets that information from about 160 million visitors per month.

The analyst said that the iPhone’s browser share of the market has nearly doubled since the debut of its 3G version.

Microsoft introduced Windows Mobile 2003, its first under the Windows Mobile brand, five years ago. The software behemoth licenses its mobile operating system to four out of five of the largest cell phone makers in the world.

Pacific Crest said the iPhone’s steady Internet interest suggests Apple has a lasting “competitive advantage” among smartphones.

Apple on Monday released a batch of firmware bug fixes for its iPhone 3G, according to the Boy Genius Report. The phone had been plagued by complaints of voice and data reception problems, among other issues.

Researcher Pacific Crest makes a market in Apple shares.

Apple declined $0.94, or .5 percent, to $174.45 in midday trading.