Skip to main content

Exploring Smartphone and Tablet Apps Growth in 2013

This year will provide an incremental lift for the savvy independent software developers that create apps mobile device users will crave. For the most successful developers, the upside opportunities for revenue growth is significant.

The market continues to expand, with few signs of app saturation. The annual volume of smartphone app downloads will reach 56 billion in 2013, according to the latest market study by ABI Research.

When comparing the performance of smartphone operating system (OS) platforms, ABI discovered that Google Android will account for 58 percent of the total, with Apple iOS commanding an annual share of 33 percent.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone will finish the year with a thin slice that reached less than than 4 percent, with BlackBerry trailing it with just 3 percent market share.

In the meantime, ABI forecasts that mobile users will download around 14 billion media tablet apps during this year.

In the tablet segment, ABS believes that the Apple iPad lead -- as a development platform -- remains formidable, as 75 percent of the market will be apps running on iOS.

For comparison, Android will represent an annual share of 17 percent -- that's excluding Kindle Fire. Downloads to Amazon’s tablets equate to a market share of 4 percent, while just 2 percent of the total will be for Windows tablets.

With its vast installed base and the generally improved conditions for app building, ABI Research expects a growing number of smartphone-focused developers to adopt an Android-first strategy within the year.

"Arguably the most pressing issue for Google is how much of this handset momentum will ultimately trickle down to tablets, where Apple is holding the fort remarkably well," said Aapo Markkanen, senior analyst at ABI Research.

ABI says they would argue that in this context, Google will actually benefit from the efforts by Amazon, since the presence of Kindle Fire adds a lot of critical code mass to the Android value proposition as a platform for tablet applications.

It is worth remembering that Android’s so-called fragmentation challenge isn’t only a problem, but that it has a certain upside benefit as well.

Popular posts from this blog

Virtual Reality Market Set to Reach $100 Billion

Virtual Reality (VR) market growth is now finally coming to fruition. Thanks to current actions and market momentum, VR is approaching what can be considered critical mass. And, not a moment too soon. This growth momentum comes from new hardware and content releases, accelerating enterprise value recognition, and a significant metaverse wild card that could potentially lift adoption and usage. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, over 85 million VR Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) will be shipped in 2027 across consumer and enterprise segments, creating a $100 billion VR market that includes hardware, software, and services. Virtual Reality Market Development "Expectations have been high in VR for years, and even decades, without notable growth to show. That growth is finally coming over the next five years," said Eric Abbruzzese, research director at ABI Research . The barrier to entry is lower than ever, all while content performance and user experien

Human Resource Transformation Enabled by IT

Many senior executives are taking a proactive approach to digital business transformation in order to achieve their strategic goals. Delivering revenue growth and profitability is now imperative for every function, including Human Resources (HR). The top 3 priority HR technologies this year are skills management, learning experience platforms, and internal talent marketplaces, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. "With a tumultuous global economy, HR technology leaders face a balancing act in 2023," said Sam Grinter, director at Gartner . "Leaders must anticipate greater levels of accountability and demand for measurable outcomes to justify new technology investments." HR Transformation Market Development Forty-four percent of HR leaders report driving better business outcomes is their number one strategic priority for HR technology transformation over the next three years. Growth in headcount and skills (26 percent) and cost optimization (17 p

Global EV Charging Revenue to Exceed $300B

During 2022, fuel prices increased very quickly, partly due to a number of macroeconomic reasons. In fact, the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic are still impacting fuel prices, with many oil refineries having reduced capacity due to a prior fall in demand. Those significant events and other trends have created a demand for a growing variety of Electric Vehicles (EVs). While EVs have existed for decades, they really became a viable option for more consumers during the past five years. However, although EVs are suitable for some buyer needs, their usability is constrained by the current availability of battery charging infrastructure. EV Charging Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, revenue from electric vehicle charging will exceed $300 billion globally by 2027 -- that's up from $66 billion in 2023. Regardless, the Juniper analysis found that fragmentation in battery charging networks is restricting further EV adoption in some