Apps
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Posted by: Viki ZabalaJanuary 11, 2013
- The Apple App Store hits a new record – 40 billion downloads!
- Recent reports indicate that Apple’s iOS tops 50 percent of U.S. smartphone sales, up nearly 36 percent from last year, achieving the highest percentage of sales in the American market to date.
- Expect to see many more tablets in the workplace this year as the BYOD (bring your own device) trend adds more personal tabets to the business environment and companies seek to purchase these devices over computers.
- Mobile ad spending will increase 400 percent in the next four years, reaching a staggering $37 billion in 2016.
This week, Apple announced that consumers have downloaded more than 40 billion apps – with nearly 20 billion in 2012 alone. Today, the App Store has more than 500 million active accounts and had a record-breaking December with more than 2 billion downloads during the month. Apple’s developer community has created 775,000+ apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users worldwide. Also, developers have made $7 billion in revenue since the App Store launched in 2008. Tom Cheredar of VentureBeat has the details.
Data released by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech signals a milestone for iOS, as Apple’s operating system powered 53.3 percent of all smartphones sold in the U.S. from November 2011 to November 2012. Among U.S. iPhone sales, 34 percent of consumers upgraded from an earlier iPhone, and 40 percent acquired their first smartphone. The growth of iOS translated into market share declines for Android, down nearly 11 percent from last year, writes Jason Ankeny of FierceMobileContent.
Analysts from Piper Jaffray and Forrester predict greater adoption of tablets – especially the iPad – for businesses in 2013, reports Lance Whitney of CNET. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster reveals recent survey results of CIOs, where 57 percent of them indicate plans to deploy tablets this year, compared with 46 percent last year. Additionally, corporate users utilizing their own tablets in the workplace are increasingly relying on apps to help manage their busy lives and day-to-day tasks, such as finding a taxi or hotel, following current events, or making payments.
Estimates from eMarketer indicate mobile ad spending will experience 400 percent growth during the next four years. These estimates incorporate display and search advertising and exclude message-based formats (such as SMS, MMS, and P2P). The major beneficiaries would include Google and Facebook, with gains by Apple, Microsoft, and Yahoo!, writes Chuck Jones of Forbes. North America leads globally, with the average ad dollar spend per mobile user expected to reach $46 in 2016. eMarketer’s estimates include analysis of various elements, such as macro-level economic conditions, historical advertising trends, estimates from other research firms, and mobile usage trends.
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Posted by: Viki ZabalaSeptember 21, 2012
Following its Sept. 12 announcement, Apple’s new iPhone 5 device generated record-breaking sales well before hitting shelves on Sept. 21. This Wednesday, Apple released iOS 6, its latest operating system that powers the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, containing more than 200 new features. As part of the new OS, the company unveiled the Advertising Identifier, its new marketing attribution standard to track and attribute in-app advertising. Simultaneously, we unveiled our new SDK Version 3.0 to help marketers navigate this change and ensure a seamless transition to the new Advertising Identifier.
In the first 24 hours following its introduction, interest in the iPhone 5 triggered more than 2 million pre-sales, doubling the previous record set by the iPhone 4S, according to Bloomberg. For AT&T, these early sales made the iPhone 5 its fastest-selling iPhone ever. In fact, because demand for the new phone exceeded supply, Apple said some shipments might now not arrive until October. “It goes to show they’ve got a loyal existing customer base, and with each device they release it becomes more attractive to Android switchers as well,” said Jan Dawson, a mobile analyst at Ovum to The New York Times.
After unveiling the iPhone 5, Apple released iOS 6, which contains more than 200 new features and enhancements, such as improved maps, the Passbook app, an improved Siri, camera panoramas, shared photo streams, FaceTime over cellular and more. “In the end, iOS 6 is to software what the iPhone 5 is to hardware: a big collection of improvements, many of which are really clever and good, that don’t take us in any big new directions,” wrote David Pogue in The New York Times.
With the availability of iOS 6, Apple introduced the Advertising Identifier, which provides a new, standardized way for advertisers to track and attribute in-app advertising. At the same time, we released our new SDK Version 3.0 to help app brands ensure a seamless transition to the new identifier, which will ultimately replace UDID. As a marketer, you probably have questions about the Advertising Identifier and the transition period that is sure to follow. We invite you to join us and discuss these topics on free webinar, “Apple’s Announcements – How Marketing Apps on iOS Will Change,” on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at noon p.m. EDT. Register here.
Tags: Apple, iPhone 5, Apps, Siri, iPad, iOS 6, iPod Touch, AT&T, Jan Dawson, Passbook, David Pogue, Advertising Identifier, SDK Version 3.0 -
Posted by: Viki ZabalaAugust 9, 2012
As anticipation builds for the reported September release of the iPhone 5 and iOS 6, conjectures about which features will and will not be on the device are surfacing along with high expectations for device sales. In other news, a new study reveals some interesting gender-related trends when it comes to the hottest tablets on the market. And the latest reports from London show that mobile apps are providing golden opportunities for Olympic coaches to review their star athletes’ performances.
Nearly one week after initial speculation about the iPhone 5’s Sept. 12 introduction, rumors continued swirling about the potential feature set of Apple’s newest smartphone. According to The Washington Post, the iPhone 5 will not have a pre-installed YouTube app (though users can still watch YouTube via the Web browser). Additionally, Apple has already introduced its own maps app for iOS 6, replacing Google Maps. There are even reports that Apple may recede from Google services and change its default search engine to Bing. “Microsoft needs Apple to make Bing relevant. Apple needs Microsoft in order to stop paying Google billions,” TechCrunch’s MG Siegler wrote. “This is so obvious. I think we may see a Google-free iPhone sooner, rather than later.”
The new iPhone is expected to sell about 170 million of the 200 million iPhones sold during the next year, according to Asymco analyst Horace Dediu. In a CNET piece, Dediu made his annual market analysis, forecasting that the iPhone 5 will seize about 85 percent of sales. He calculated his predictions based on Apple’s chief marketer Phil Schiller’s recent comment that “each new generation sold approximately is equal to all previous generations combined.” Interestingly, the iPhone 4 beat all three of its ancestors, and the 4S is on the path to exceed sales of the first four models.
Meanwhile, the U.S. tablet market continues to grow, with a predicted 47 percent penetration by 2013. According to TechCrunch, comScore has released new statistics about Kindle Fire and iPad users. In a survey of 6,000 tablet owners, researchers found the Kindle Fire has more female than male users (56.6 percent), while the iPad has more male users (52.9 percent). Android tablets were mostly split even between genders. The survey also found that the iPad has the highest satisfaction rating of all tablets.
And with all eyes on London as the Summer Olympics continues, even the coaches have caught app fever – but not to navigate the city or track official medal counts (though there are apps for that too!). According to Reuters, gymnastics, diving and swimming coaches are using mobile apps to analyze form, execution and timing to improve athletes’ performances. By reviewing their athletes’ routines via apps, they’re able to see errors and correct techniques that could have robbed them from a spot on the medal podium.
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Posted by: Viki ZabalaMay 9, 2012
First quarter numbers reveal that Android now holds 61 percent of market share in the U.S., an increase of 12 percent from last quarter. And Nielsen’s latest insights into the mobile market show more than half of all U.S. mobile device users now own smartphones. In an effort to increase the number of quality apps for Android tablets, Samsung is launching the Smart App Challenge 2012 and has even set aside a $4,080,000 to entice developers to participate. Read on for more…
CNET is reporting on first quarter numbers released by NPD Group indicating Android has reclaimed the lead in the smartphone battle, holding almost two-thirds of the U.S. market. Coupled with Apple’s 29 percent share, the duo now holds 90 percent of all smartphone sales in the U.S.
According to a recent survey released by Nielsen, 50.4 percent of U.S. mobile consumers now own a smartphone. TechCrunch is highlighting the survey results which also show that 0.8 percent more females own smartphones than men, and more than two-thirds of smartphone owners are between the ages of 25 and 34. TechCrunch’s Ingrid Lunden has full details on the new study here.
If you think you can build a popular app for Android tablets, Samsung is calling on you to participate in its Smart App Challenge 2012. The Verge reports Samsung is promising monetary awards ranging from $200,000 to $30,000 and “mega marketing support” in hopes that the app challenge will increase the number of quality apps made available on the company’s Galaxy Tab and Note products.
And finally, the biggest question smartphone buyers have been asking for nearly five years is “Should I buy an Android or iPhone?” With the addition of another appealing option, Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS, the question is becoming even more difficult, Huffington Post reports. Reporter Jason Gilbert examines each of the three options – breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of each OS. He writes that which option you choose should depend largely on how you plan to use your phone.
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Posted by: Viki ZabalaJune 24, 2011
Apple... At least that seems to be the overwhelming theme of this week’s news coverage. As it so often does, the tech powerhouse dominated headlines, but this time, for two separate events – one a legal victory, the other news of the first major player (Hulu) bowing to its in-app subscription rules. We highlight these updates, as well as some other important industry trends such as mobile privacy, in this week’s Fiksu Feed.
In legal news, PC Magazine has an interesting report about a new Apple patent, which was awarded for a controversial multi-touch interface that many people seem to misunderstand. This patent is far-reaching and according to Fierce Wireless, some experts are predicting problems down the road for competitive smartphone manufacturers.
All Things D broke the story that in accordance with Apple's subscription policy, Hulu has removed from its iPad app a Web link that let users sign up for its service. This means that the app can no longer function as an effective advertising tool for the video service, which is a bummer for Hulu, but much better than the previous offer: use Apple’s in-house purchase system — and give Apple 30 percent of all sales that flow from that — or don’t do it at all.
One thing Apple HASN’T talked about this week is the iPhone 5. Nonetheless, CNET has a full run-down of the recent iPhone 5 rumors – from what it might offer, to when it might arrive.
As we touched on last week, many developers (including Yahoo!) seem to be banking on the fact that users are willing to turn to apps to find others apps. A recent rash of app discovery tools available for iOS devices definitely identifies an industry challenge, but GigaOm’s Darrell Etheringon isn’t sure any of them provide real lasting solutions.
In other news, privacy continues to be a hot topic. As an industry, mobile marketing is still new and evolving, but it's growing by leaps and bounds. As with any growing consumer technology industry, mobile privacy is becoming an increasingly hot topic – gaining widespread attention with everyone from consumers to the media to the U.S. Senate. On Wednesday, AdWeek reported that GroupM became the first agency to adopt mobile privacy guidelines, which will limit the amount of data collected and shared from mobile devices in marketing campaigns.
To wrap things up, the mobile industry hit an important – though not incredibly surprising – milestone this month. Mashable reported Monday that consumers are spending more time on mobile apps than on the Web for the first time ever. Research from Flurry found that in June, consumers spent, on average, 81 minutes per day using mobile apps, compared to 74 minutes of Web surfing. If the stats bear out (and we here at Fiksu are confident they will!), the data is validation for Wired, which last year declared the Web is dead and predicted that apps would soon overtake it.
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