Smartphone users in the UK are turning away from using paid-for apps, which has created a dilemma for developers trying to capitalise on the smartphone market boom.
The UK has become a nation of smartphone users, with as many as one in three British adults now using one. That was the finding of an Ofcom report published last year, which found that a third of the UK’s adult population had switched to the latest in mobile technology.
When it comes to smartphone use, Britain leads the way in Europe with more than 17 million monthly active users (Flurry Analytics, May 2011). With constant developments in internet usage, SMS technology and email integration within smartphones, this is hardly a surprise. But this boom in smartphone popularity masks the fact that there are many people in the UK who are still content with their regular mobile phone.
Whilst the increased use of smartphones is good news for the manufacturers, other companies and developers linked to smartphones have struggled to capitalise on their popularity. Research from analyst firm Screen Digest has found that the app market is a difficult one to monetise, with the majority of paid-for apps unpopular with users.
This creates a real dilemma for developers who are trying to profit from the popularity of new technology. Even the most simple of app takes time, dedication and money to bring to the market. But no matter how much effort has gone into it, if the app isn’t free then many smartphone users will simply not download it.
The research estimated that of all the apps downloaded worldwide in 2011, an incredible 96% of them were downloaded for free. So many developers are turning to in-app purchases as a way of generating revenue. By offering the apps for free, developers are trying to get users ‘hooked’ on the app and then tempt them to buy additional features.
Apps are currently only supported on the latest mobile phones and are not always on every operating system. So if your looking to communicate with large audiences, SMS messaging is the only guaranteed way for those times when every message matters.
