Having smartphones without downloading apps is just like having a dessert that is not sweet. App stores owned by operating system manufacturers provide a platform for new and veteran developers to showcase their talent and skills while they also cater to the needs of the smartphone users who keep on downloading various apps onto their phones depending on their interest.
The app craze has taken over the entire world and whether it is game, social media, entertainment, news, education or any other category one would find thousands of apps in each of them. Some of the apps are available for free while some ask customers to pay for premium services, but there is no denying that there is a strong market which is expected to grow further in the days to come.
According to Juniper Research, an analyst firm in the wireless sector, over 160 billion apps will be downloaded onto smartphones and tablets in 2017. The total number of app downloads this year is expected to be around 80 billion. The firm has cited the possible increase in smartphone users in the developing countries as the main force behind this rise.
At present, many smartphone giants including Samsung have already reached out to the masses in the developing countries by manufacturing phones that are affordable for the public there. Moreover, Apple that generally focuses high-end consumers is also reportedly going to launch a cost-effective phone. This goes to show that even these companies sense a boom in the markets of developing countries. This further strengthens the claim that there will be more app downloads in future as the number of smartphone users increases.
The firm has said in its report that gaming apps will dominate most of the apps with at least 40 per cent of downloads arising from this area. The press release by Juniper Research said:
“Furthermore, app stores will seek to improve stickiness by developing social functions for gameplay. For example, the recently announced Google Play Game Services allows for real-time multiplayer games and leader boards across not only the Android platform but also iOS and the web. This, coupled with an increasing number of apps which are free at the point of download, will lead to an explosion in the total number of apps downloaded.”
Photo: Google Play