01/18/10
Mobile apps downloads to skyrocket in 2010
As smartphones continue to take over a significant share of the mobile phone market, consumers will continue to look for apps. Smartphone users are expected to spend $6.2 billion on mobile apps in 2010, forecasts Gartner in a recent report. Downloads will also skyrocket, exceeding 4.5 billion this year, with 82 percent of all apps downloaded being free. Last year, mobile app stores rang up sales of more than $4.2 billion, which includes paid apps bought by consumers and ad-sponsored free apps. Gartner predicts mobile app downloads will shoot past 21.6 billion by 2013, with free apps accounting for 87 percent of all downloads. While many equate smartphones with tech- and business-savvy consumers, the apps being downloaded may reflect the broadening appeal of the phones. “Games remain the number one application, and mobile shopping, social networking, utilities, and productivity tools continue to grow and attract increasing amounts of money,” said Stephanie Baghdassarian, research director at Gartner. But Gartner also expects this new mass-market appeal of smartphones to lead to more ad-sponsored free apps, as later adopters may not be as willing to spend on apps as early adopters were.
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