Statistics and facts about mobile app usage
by Jessica Kril
Mobile apps are software applications designed to run on
smartphones,
tablet computers and other mobile devices. They are typically available through native distribution platforms, so-called
app stores which are operated by the owners of the mobile operating system. Some of the most popular operating system-native stores are
Apple's App Store,
Google Play, as well as Windows Phone Store and BlackBerry App World.
Whereas mobile apps were originally offered as productivity and information retrieval tools such as calendars, e-mail, stock market and weather information, the market has rapidly expanded due to public demand and availability of developer tools. Currently, some of the most
popular app categories include gaming, entertainment and education.
Many of the most popular mobile properties are mainly
accessed via mobile apps instead of mobile browsers. Popular examples are
mobile social networking properties, led by Facebook with
600 million active mobile users. Another growing market is
mobile retail via B2C shopping apps, as well as mobile gaming and other possibilities of
app monetization.
Mobile app usage is not only limited to smartphones but also includes tablet computers such as the
Apple iPad,
Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and various other Android tablet devices.