Try counting the number of apps on your mobile devices and then add up the hours and money spent. Surprised at how large it all is? Bravo! You are a relatively early adopter and contributing member of the incredible Online Global App Story. Today, you choose from >10 million apps, are one of >3.4 billion app users worldwide who spend >1.6 trillion hours and >$1.3 trillion annually. By 2021, those numbers are projected to double, triple or more with > 25 million apps available, 6.3 billion app users, 3.5 trillion hours and an astounding $6.3 trillion. Apps are the latest new digital thing. And those big and fast-growing numbers can, if you embrace the Online Global App Story, drive your global sales, brands and business growth.
This blog is App Story #1 in a series of 4 blogs all about the Online Global App Story:
- App Story #1: The Apps - we look at the apps themselves, numbers and leaders of the pack
- App Story #2: The Users - we check out who is downloading, using apps and where they are
- App Story #3: The Hours - we focus on what we are all doing on these apps
- App Story #4: The Money - we follow the cash pile
An app is an application which is downloadable by a user to a smart mobile device. Successful apps deliver specific functionalities that consumers and businesses demand, everywhere and at any time, to their mobile devices, typically on one of the 4.8 billion users of smart phones or tablets worldwide. As these smart mobile devices, led by global players Samsung, Apple and Huawei, become ubiquitous globally, we are all joined in the Online Global App Story.
Today there are literally millions of apps: in China, for example, mobile phone users have a choice of >6.4 million apps. Google Play offers over 2.8 million (Android OS); Apple App Store 2.2 million (iOS), Windows Store 0.7 million and Amazon Appstore 0.6 million. That figure is growing every day. It is worth recalling that the Apple App Store was launched with the iPhone 2007 and the Android App Stores one year later in 2008 - so this App Story is less than 10 years old. Last year, Apple claims that downloads from the App Store exceeded 140 billion. Gartner, a leading IT consultancy firm, forecasts that in 2017 we will download 268 billion apps!
The world’s #1 app market (measured by users, hours and money) is China. Not unsurprisingly, the dominant apps in China are produced by Chinese firms, most successfully by Tencent and Baidu, two of the so-called BAT leading tech giants (Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent). But like everywhere in the world, the leading apps are those that facilitate daily life, entertainment and enjoyment, so are used for: communications, online access, shopping, selling, music, videos, games…
The 7 most popular apps are:
- WeChat (Tencent) - installed on almost every Chinese smartphone, >700 million users to date!
- QQ (Tencent) – most Chinese have a QQ number and use both apps.
- Mobile Baidu – the search app, has 60% of the desktop market and 90% on mobile.
- Taobao – it’s all about shopping.
- UC Browser - >500 million satisfied browsing users.
- QQ Browser (Tencent again…) – fighting for the browser market.
- Tencent Video (guess who?) – used for watching TV soap operas and game shows.
The 1st non-Chinese app is Google Chrome at #50.
The #2 and subsequent markets for apps is the USA, India, Brazil and Japan. But this order is changing rapidly as mobile devices and infrastructure investment delivers fast speed internet access globally. In the USA, ComScore’s 2017 Mobile App Report shows us the leading apps by penetration of app audience: No real surprises here!
Interesting to see the fastest growing apps, according to the ComScore report include: Bitmoji (personalized emoji, owned by Snapchat), OfferUp (buying/selling marketplace), Letgo (buying/selling locally), Flipp (grocery shopping with coupons), Venmo (money transfers), Uber (ride-hailing, you know that one)…these are just a few of the leading apps of the many millions available.
Looking forward, the growth in the number of apps available shows no signs of slowing down. Businesses recognize the value and so developers keep building them across all possible business categories (see the SensorTower 06.2016 table below). Apple’s App Store, which is expected to more than double in size to 5 million apps by the year 2020, shows us what to expect in this Online Global App Story.
Sources: Wearesocial, Statista, Hootsuite, SensorTower, Newzoo, App Annie, Econsultancy, Google, Apple, comScore, GSMA, China Channel