The number of mobile application downloads worldwide will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 56.6pc between 2010 and 2015 to reach 98bn, according to new research.
Research firm Berg Insight estimates that revenues from paid applications, in-app purchases and subscription services – so called direct revenues – reached €1.6bn in 2010.
Direct direct app store revenues are forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 40.7pc to reach €8.8bn in 2015.
Apple’s iOS is the current leader in direct monetisation of mobile applications and will keep the No 1 position during the forecast period.
The Android and Windows Phone operating systems are anticipated to be No 2 and No 3 respectively in 2015.
Don’t forget to continue to develop for the mobile web
“Even though the download numbers will increase during the forecast period, most apps are free to download and app monetisation will be a challenge for developers,” said Johan Svanberg, senior analyst, Berg Insight.
“Free to download monetisation strategies, such as in-app advertising and in-app purchasing, will be increasingly important. This is especially true in the APAC region, which will account for over 40pc of all mobile app downloads in 2015.”
Svanberg adds that for the next coming years, the native mobile app is here to stay. New web technologies, such as HTML5, are promising and will eventually be relevant alternatives to native apps.
He says it is also important to remember that web apps and native apps are not mutual exclusives and publishers looking for maximising reach should develop for the web, as well as for the major mobile platforms.
